The Jones-Payton girls swim team competed in the fourth annual Swim for Kim meet against Whitney Young on Oct. 6.

Swim for Kim honors Kim Rubel, the mother of Lena Marchese ‘23, one of the swimmers. Kim passed from breast cancer in Sept. 2019. 

“It is great to swim in honor of my mom. She loved coming to my swim meets,” said Marchese.

High turnout for the meet meant that spirits stayed high as friends, family, and teammates cheered on the competitors. 

“All of my friends came to the meet; it’s amazing to see the community at Jones and everyone coming together,” said Marchese. 

 One of the more spirited swim meets for Jones, Swim for Kim turns out a larger audience than other meets.

“I wish we could get that many spectators at every meet, and then even more at Swim for Kim,” said assistant coach and Biology teacher Garrett Smith.

Even though Whitney Young beat Jones by 37 points with a final score of 193-156, the team had an optimistic outlook on the meet. 

“There were some great relays. It’s midseason, so we aren’t really going for speed, more technique,” said Marchese. 

Many of the girls on both teams swim in outside clubs together, creating a supportive atmosphere at the meet. 

“It felt less like a competition against a rival team and more like competing with friends,” said Smith.