Caparelli Looks To Begin The Year With A Splash

The Harrison swim team has looked to its senior class for leadership during the last few years. But this season the Huskies will be counting on a big year from junior Olivia Caparelli.

Caparelli has been a part of the varsity program at Harrison since her middle school days, so the swimmer is far from a newcomer. She is entering the 2010 season as one of the most experienced members of the team.

"For the past few years we have had strong seniors that sort of carried us through the meets and scored most of our points," Caparelli said. "This year it is really up to our underclassmen to help our team win."

Last year Harrison graduated some very talented athletes in every sport and swimming was no exception.

"It is always hard when our seniors graduate," Caparelli said. "We miss them so much and it used to be hard to imagine the team without them."

The Harrison swim team has strung together a few successful years in a row and Caparelli said she had to look a few years back to remember her fondest memory with the team.

"The high point of me being on the swim team was winning the divisionals when I was in the eighth grade," said Caparelli. "Just knowing that I was a part of a winning team made the experience so memorable and exciting."

The team has spent most of the offseason working to address small problems that hurt them last year. But preperation for this season, according to Caparelli, has not been a problem.

"Last year our team was not motivated to get in the pool and practice so we could get faster and actually win," said Caparelli. "So this year I hope that the girls realize our coaches and our school want us to win and do well in competitions."

The two races Caparelli is most known for are the 50 and 100-yard freestyles. Her best time in the 100-yard is 54.7 seconds and her best time in the 50 is 25.2 seconds.

Caparelli is also going to be competing on the school's spring track team this year, but she is never far from the pool. During the summer Caparelli competed on an year-round swim team and she works as a lifeguard in West Harrison—teaching and supervising the town's youth.

Best of luck and continued success Olivia Caparelli, Harrison Patch's athlete of the week for Aug. 29 – Sept. 4.