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On January 19, the varsity boys swimming team took off to Manila, Philippines for their season ending APAC tournament hosted by Brent International School (Brent). This year the girls and boys varsity swimming team competed together in the same APAC tournament with ten other APAC schools. The schools consisted of the host Brent International School (Brent), American International School of Guangzhou (AISG), International School of Beijing (ISB), Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), Hong Kong International School (HKIS), Concordia International School Shanghai (CISS), United Nations International School (UNIS), Seoul Foreign School (SFS), Shanghai American International School Pudong (SAS PD), and Shanghai International School Puxi (SAS PX).
Our varsity boys swimming team handled the pressure coming into the tournament very well. G10 Jay R. said, “I think our team handled the pressure pretty well. We had some goals that we set as a team before APAC and we wanted to achieve them. We tried our best not to get nervous from the pressure and we did a pretty good job.”
There were also many challenges that the team faced. G11 Louis M. said, “One problem that I can point out where we could have done better is related to the timing of APAC . Since it was right after a 3 week winter break, we lost a lot of fitness and stamina that wasn’t fully recoverable in 2 weeks time before the meet. For some that didn’t or couldn’t train at all during that time, it was even more difficult. This resulted in many not being in top shape for APAC. This really only could have been solved individually.”
G10 Jay. R further commented, “Most challenging thing for the team was probably the competition. This year’s APAC was way more competitive than last year’s. This caused us to fall down on the rankings on many events. Some of our relays placed last due to other teams just being too strong for us.”
The varsity boys swimming team also did things outside of the competition to recover their bodies. G10 Jay said, “My body was absolutely destroyed after each event so I tried my best to stretch and use the foam roller. I also tried my best to sleep at least 8 hours at night.”
In addition to the players, the head coach of the varsity swimming team Zachary Brooks also commented on his team’s performance. Zachary Brooks said, “This year’s APAC team sizes were drastically different from the previous year. We had a girls team comprised of 11 committed swimmers while the boys team was a small but mighty 7 swimmers. We are looking to build out a full roster of 12 girls and 12 boys in the future. For the first time in my years as coach, AISG had one swimmer qualify for individual finals in not one but all three of her events. This is an impressive feat. What stood out to me as a coach was the confidence all the AISG swimmers showed in and around the pool deck, their competitive determination to improve (drop) time to set personal bests, and the sportsmanship they exhibited to fellow athletes, coaches and officials.”
Lastly, the captain of the swim team G12 Aime Z. summed up experience. She said, “This being my last APAC as a varsity swimmer, it means a lot to me. I’ve had to balance between swimming with all the IBDP2 stuff, but honestly, staying on top of training kept me on track, both with my technique and stamina. My biggest goal was to enjoy the competition, and I think I did just that. Looking back from last year, I can feel the growth as a captain. I’m way more confident in supporting my teammates during warm-ups and swim meets now.”
The captain also passed on advice to the youngsters in the swim team. She said, “First, just stick with it—consistency is huge. Every small improvement counts and eventually leads to bigger results. The team’s energy is everything, so get to know your teammates and support one another. As freshmen, it might feel overwhelming, but you’ll find your rhythm. And don’t forget to enjoy the competition—it’s easy to get caught up in performance, but having fun actually helps you perform better. Honestly, being part of this team has been one of the best experiences, and I’m super thankful for it, especially as captain.”
To conclude, out of all the schools in the tournament, the boys team finished 10th and the whole combined team of boys and girls finished 8th. For now, the team is heading towards the following season next year. Go rams!
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