Yale Athletics

The Yale Swim and Dive team looks forward to kicking off the season with the ceremonial Blue and White exhibition race at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4. 

At the race, varsity swimmers and divers will split into two teams and compete in a variety of strokes, distances, and dives in a format similar to intercollegiate matches. In addition to determining which of Yale’s colors are superior, the Blue vs. White race is also a great opportunity to showcase the new recruits and highlight the current team’s strengths and weaknesses. 

“The kickoff is such a great event for team culture,” distance swimmer Konstantinos Zachariadis ’27 said. “I’m looking forward to seeing our current level, seeing where we can improve, and preparing for the season.” 

With diverse talents in all strokes and dives, as well as an impressive collection of titles, the Bulldogs start the season strong. 

Zachariadis hails from Greece, and his 53:28 time for the 5k qualified him to represent the country in international competitions. 

Although the Swim and Dive team had no official fall season meets before October, the Elis couldn’t wait to get in the pool. Seniors and team captains took the initiative and arranged practices for the rest of the group. The swim team has practiced up to three to four hours a day for six days a week for the past month. 

“Our coach said we had 92 percent attendance at captains’ practices, so I think we’ve been preparing really well,” recalled freestyle swimmer Morgan Cady ’28. 

Cady began competitive swimming at 13 and broke her high school’s 500m freestyle record, which had stood for almost 20 years, at the Colorado state meet last year.  

Butterfly and IM swimmer Junseo Kim ’25 recounted that she started to swim at 7 “to learn how to float in case of emergencies,” and is now both a four-time U.S. Nationals qualifier and a 2016 Olympic Trials qualifier. 

Though in her senior year, Kim still remembers the thrill she felt during her first Blue vs. White race at Yale. 

“There was so much new to me, but it was so much fun and there was lots of cheering,” Kim told the News. 

While practices and competitions can be physically taxing, multiple team members have attested to the necessity of mental fortitude. Divers are in the air for no more than a couple of seconds during their flips, which makes staying calm and composed all the more critical.

Nicholas Chau ’26 first discovered his love for diving during swimming practice, and years later, he finished in the top 10 in the USA diving nationals for juniors. 

He mentioned the “mental block” that divers often encounter when trying to learn a new dive, where their body is physically ready for the movement but their mind is still doubting. 

“It can be difficult to chuck yourself off a 10-feet high board and execute several flips with the risk of hitting the board or belly-flopping on the water,” said Chau. 

On the other end of the spectrum, long-distance swimmers may remain in the water for up to a mile or more, and the race can sometimes be, as Zachariadis puts it, “tough and lonely.” 

Though many of their competitions involve swimming or diving alone, when asked about their favorite aspect of the sport, many members pointed to the supportive and loving nature of the team. Even though swimming and diving are completely different in nature, the shared element of water ensures the harmony of the combined team.  

“We’re two different sports, but we’re one team, and we’re very good at meshing with each other,” said Chau.  

From cheering each other on during races and having each other’s backs when balancing training with academics, the Bulldogs have formed numerous tight-knit bonds. Several team members told the News that the Swim and Dive team was like “a second family to them.” 

Following the Blue vs White exhibition race, the Swim and Dive team will have their first collegiate meet of the season against the University of Massachusetts on Oct. 19.