While the Brookfield Central Girls’ Swim and Dive team is one of the top teams in the state, there is much more to these girls than just best times and high scores. In this article, we examine the sillier side of the Lady Lancers.

Among others, the Lancers are known for being supportive teammates. “Every year, our team is known for being the best cheerers!” said Anna Horvath (‘18). One such cheer is what the team calls the “shower cheer.”

After warm-ups, the girls gather into the locker room and stand around the shower, putting on their parka hoods as if in some kind of ritual. The Lancers line up single file, and shout “ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh” three times at full volume.

Then, the girls burst into a chant, repeating the words “L-L-LAN-C-C-ERS, LANCERS, Lancers-Lancers-Lancers” as they exit the locker room to faces full of amusement. “At the Spartan Invite, we were one of the smallest teams there, but when we did our ‘shower cheer,’ we were louder and more enthusiastic than all the other teams,” said Horvath.

Although the swimmers have their fair share of funny stories, the dive team seems to have just as much fun. “There’s a ton of crazy things that occur at practices,” said Sydney Kane (‘18). “ At Central, the cross country boys will run by, and as a joke, some of the upperclassmen girls will take our shammies and throw them out the door by the brick wall.” This results in the new girls – usually the freshmen – running outside in a swimsuit in order to retrieve their towels while the boys sprint past, burning with embarrassment. “Everyone does it to each other, especially if you skip someone’s turn,” said Kane.

However, the swim and dive team would not be complete without a victory tradition. Every year, the girls toss Coach Bill Twitchell into the pool, allowing him to experience the sport firsthand. “I honestly have no clue how it started,” said Maggie Teng (‘19). “I guess it’s like how other sports pour the water cooler on their coach when they win a big game, but the swimmer version.”

It is clear that even while working hard, the Lady Lancers can afford to play hard.