Winter Sport Swimming and Diving is a big team with 63 members in total (31 members in the boy’s and 32 members in the girl’s team).

Coach Raborg has been coaching for 7 years, with some phenomenal people on the team, including Samuel Lee.

Swimmer Samuel Lee (10) has been swimming since he was 3. He joined his first club team at 7, and joined his current team, MAC (Monocacy Aquatic Club), when he was 11.

“My parents wanted me to learn how to swim so I [wouldn’t] drown” he says while laughing.

Large strokes have been made in the Urbana Swimming and Diving team, and the upcoming year is already up for the challenge of one-upping their seniors.

As a spotlight moment he will remember this year is “Definitely winning the championship because of our relay. We were down by a few points and we needed to win this last event to win the whole meet. My relay which had Will Landon, Marshal Radanovich, and Logan Curtis won by .05 seconds. I was the anchor (last leg) of the relay which let us win the whole championship.” Urbana won with 153 points, 7 points more than second place- Oakdale High.

Although starting the sport was not his choice, Samuel started enjoying swimming as he got better. Continuing the sport to this day, just enjoying the overall atmosphere of the team was key to keeping at the sport.

“The team is supportive cause we always cheer for each other and scream and we just hype each other up, and we’re all really happy.” The supportive members and energy are what seems to make the team most enjoyable!

Senior Jacob Jeong (12) says, “Our team always supports one another whether it’s in or out of the pool. We cheer for everyone who swims, and always show good sportsmanship.”

Another great aspect about the swim and dive team is their work ethic.

“I think everyone on the team pushes themselves to become faster every practice and meet. Whether you’re a club swimmer or a beginner, everyone wants to always beat their personal record which is another reason why Urbana is a great team.”

Although Jacob doesn’t want to continue swimming in college, he has been active for 10 years already- and says he is very fortunate to have 3 hard working coaches that guide them to the right paths. “They make sure to push all of us to our limits every practice so that we can show greater outcomes at the swim meets.”

Overall the swim team’s culture and vibes seems positive. Jacob says, “In fact I think our positivity is one of the main reasons why we are such a great team.”

Alongside the other members at Urbana’s Swimming and Diving team, Coach Raborg has taken a lot out of this team’s amazing journey.

Coach Raborg started coaching at Urbana 7 years ago because she had also grown up swimming year round for her High School.

Since Urbana was in need of a Head Girl’s Coach, she stepped up for the challenge and is very glad she did.

“It’s been an incredible 7 years building the program to what it is now. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some incredible student swimmers and their families. This is my last year as Head Coach, my son will be a Senior next year and he plays Varsity Basketball for his school and it conflicts with Winter Swim and I really want to be more present for him and my twin daughters as they are growing up. I think after two years of winning County Champs for both boys and girls, it’s a great time for me to leave on a high note. I really hope that they continue the legacy and quality of competition for years to come.”

Although many will miss the graduating members, and Coach Raborg, Urbana will take this chance to continue progressing, and keeping hold of their metal. Taking challenges head first and diving into their new transitions for the next season, let’s continue cheering for Urbana’s Swimming and Diving team.