This past Saturday, Feb. 25, the Rosary Swim team battled 46 degree weather accompanied with icy cold showers.

The bitter icy air bit at our noses as we awaited our heats (pun not intended). Shivering swimmers waited anxiously to hear the words, “meets canceled.” Sadly, those words were never heard.

Though many couldn’t imagine worse conditions, next thing we knew, hail started to fall. My reply to this heinous weather is simply that this is SoCal. The daily average of 62 degrees was already pushing it—but 46 degrees at a swim meet was just absurd.

My sister and I began our arrival by hopping around the rivers of water throughout the school in an attempt to find the pool. Upon approaching the Rosary tent, everyone had taken shelter in the locker rooms, occasionally running in and out to check if any of the events had taken place or if the meet was going to be canceled overall.

The meet had already been delayed by about an hour due to technical issues, and many of us were hoping the whole meet might be postponed for sunnier weather, but despite our encouragements, these hopes were lost.

“This was the coldest it has ever been,” junior Sofia Salazar commented. She added, “Even when it was water polo season, I don’t think it has ever been as cold as it was this past weekend.”

Freshman swimmer Sam Wright also shared her thoughts on the weather: “It was raining pretty much the whole meet. It was absolutely freezing! Luckily, the pool was pretty warm. Though we didn’t win all the races, the team performed really well all things considered. It was definitely a meet we will all remember for a while!”

After much dedication (and lots of rain), the meet began, and all the Rosary swimmers hopped in the water. It was a tough meet even for the coaches who had nearly turned into ice pops standing in the rain for so long.

Just getting up and out of bed knowing you were going to be met with the icy cold weather was a challenge. Props to all the swimmers who competed in this rainy, cold meet!