Whittier College Swim and Dive Spotlight

On paper, swimming looks like a race against the clock. In reality, for Whittier College’s swim team, it is just as much about who is standing behind the lane ropes when the race gets hard.

For the third-year women’s swimming captain Riana Barrett, growth this season has dealt less with chasing times and more towards learning how to sit with discomfort. She says her strongest performances tend to come during individual and championship-style meets, while dual meets present a different mental challenge.

Racing while fatigued forces swimmers to compete at times slower than their usual pace, something Barrett explains can be mentally difficult when you know you are capable of more. That mental tug-of-war is familiar to swimmers, especially distance athletes. Barrett competes in events that stretch close to 18 minutes, where pacing, patience, and mindset matter as much as conditioning.

“You’re going slower than what you know you can do, and you have to tell yourself, ‘I’m tired, but I can still race,’” she asserts. “That’s why dual meets are fun. You’re not racing the clock. You’re racing people.”

That mindset has shaped the team’s season as they move through the SCIAC competition. While swimming is an individual sport by design, both Barrett and fourth-year men’s captain Garrett Dykier say the team’s culture has defined how they approach competition.

“No matter who’s swimming, we’re always behind their lane cheering,” Barrett remarks. “Even if someone isn’t the fastest, we’re still there. If they hit their best time, we’re louder than they are.”

Dykier, a relay swimmer, echoes that feeling, describing meets as long, collective efforts rather than isolated performances. He explains that all every player swims about four events, making swim meets, long, tiresome, yet rewarding days.

“You’re there from the morning until mid-afternoon,” Dykier says. “Whether it’s home or away, you’re setting up the pool, racing, and breaking everything down together.”

That shared effort often shows up when meets come down to the wire. Dykier recalls a home meet earlier this season that hinged on the final relay, with the team needing a strong finish to secure the win.

“We had to win the relay to win the meet,” he points out. “I was the anchor, the last person in, and I was able to outtouch the other team. When that happened, the whole team just exploded.”

Moments like that are built on preparation that happens long before race day. As SCIAC championships approach, the team’s focus has shifted toward small technical adjustments rather than dramatic changes.

“It’s the little things,” Barrett points out. “Better turns, better streamlines, fixing your stroke just a bit. Any small change can make you faster.”

For Dykier, that attention to detail is what makes championship racing less intimidating.Knowing he has practiced each race scenario in his head repeatedly allows him to trust his preparation and focus on executing his role rather than worrying about the pressure of the moment.

“If you’ve practiced the race over and over, when it finally counts, it’s not as scary,” he explains. “You’ve already been there.”

Still, not every challenge is technical. Barrett pointed to one of the most physically demanding days of her season: swimming the mile followed shortly by the 200 butterfly.

“My legs were already cramping, and fly uses everything,” she says. “But mentally, I told myself I can finish. My team was there, and that made the difference.”

That sense of support extends beyond race days. Dykier describes the swim team as one of the most close-knit communities he has experienced on campus, built through early mornings and shared exhaustion.

“Swimming is hard—there are days you don’t want to be there,” he says. “But this team is like a family. We show up for each other.”

The team’s diversity adds another layer to that bond. Dykier notes that the team’s roster includes swimmers from across the United States and around the world, with teammates’ paths to Whittier beginning in Hungary, Czech Republic, and Uganda.

“We’re all from different places, but we’re here doing the same hard thing,” he says. “That’s what brings us together.”

For readers unfamiliar with competitive swimming, both captains emphasize that progress is often internal. As the season enters its final stretch, the College’s swimmers are not just chasing points. They are leaning on each other and trusting the work they have put in together.

“You may not be the fastest in the pool,” Barrett comments. “But you’re the fastest you’ve ever been. Be proud of that.”