The chlorinated aroma surrounds you. Water splashes. Swimmers begin to fill with adrenaline. You can hear the bounce-back of the diving boards. Coaches whistle in code to swimmers.

The Niles North girls varsity swim team warms up for their home meet against Evanston.

This year the swim team has been rebuilding its team in order to reach their highest potential by senior year.

“I think we’re having a lot of fun it’s been an adjustment to have the seniors graduate last year and we have to rebuild what we had,” TJ Moran, head coach, said.

But putting that behind them Moran has been working on training the current underclassmen to reach their highest potential for their senior year. “Striving to become a little bit better, everyday is a different challenge. Sometimes it’s better in the pool sometimes it’s better out of the pool… as long as we’re trying to get better at something we’re gonna get better,” Moran said.

Sophia Keay, senior, brought up the struggles she’s gone through with being on this team.  “Freshman year I dealt a lot with more perfectionistic thoughts in my mind and whenever I swim, even if I got a better time I’d still be like ‘no I can do better’.”

But with that she has had many personal achievements.

“The amount of time I have dropped from freshman year to now, in my 500, I came in with a 6:18 and now I’m at a 5:30.”

This team has brought out the best in Keay and she enjoys all the aspects brought from it. Swimming is something she is passionate about and has changed a lot within her life. “It has been a big part of my life. I plan on continuing in club. It’s really helped me with scheduling and its helped me de-stress a lot”

Along with Keay is Mckenna Douglas, sophomore, who is on her second year with the varsity team. She has been swimming competitively for a while now and has also had swimming make a big impact on her life. “Swimming is a lot like life you’re not always going to see success in everything you do and that really helps a lot when I’m struggling with other things in my life,” Douglas said.

Douglas has been injured during her swim season and she’s still recovering from that. But her accomplishments overcome the struggles that she has had. “I went a sub 1:10 in my 100 fly in our second meet.”

TJ Moran has made significant effects on how the Niles North swim team runs and the new program it brings to the school. “When I first started coaching at North we were in the small pool … the ceiling was leaky, [but] we had fun and worked hard. But we got this brand new facility.”

With the new facility the team was able to expand on how many girls can come in and make it a no-cuts team. “We’re able to accommodate anybody that wants to be on the team and we’re gonna find a place for them, as long as they have the commitment level, and as long as they show up everyday,” Moran said.

Gallery • 12 Photos

If you want to see more of the Niles North swim team come to their next meet against Niles West this Friday, Sept. 28 in the Aquatics Center.