If there is one thing that La Jolla High is known for, it is its standout water sports teams. The La Jolla High men’s water polo team won the Division 2 CIF Championships this fall. The La Jolla Aquatics dominance continues with our swim team that holds multiple San Diego standouts such as Arielle Brotman and Matvey Kandul. Last year, Arielle Brotman won two individual titles at CIF for the third straight year. 

Matvey Kandul, the top swimmer on the men’s varsity team, says, “I have improved a lot over the past year and I hope to swim a time fast enough to get recruited by some colleges.” Matvey has been swimming on his club team year-round, getting faster every day in preparation for this swim season. Arielle Brotman also comments, “I want to have a good final season in high school to set myself up for college.” Arielle Brotman has already committed to the University of California, Berkeley, which has one of the best women’s swim programs in the country. 

On the surface, it may seem that the La Jolla Swim Team is ultra-competitive, with its only goal to destroy the competition; however, if one dives below the surface, one will see that the team’s bond is what truly makes the swim team great. Margo Tempel shares her thoughts, expressing how “the swim meets are fun especially when you get to hang out with friends.” Margo also shares the swim team tradition of hanging out in the hot tub after a meet or hard workout and eating gummy worms. 

This year, the swim team hopes to keep swimming past its competition in San Diego with their impressive achievements. Their friendship and team spirit will be the reason the La Jolla High swim team is one of San Diego’s best.