The Pilgrim girls swimming team has gotten off to a 1-2 start to begin the season as it continues to build its program.

The Lady Pats won their opening meet against Mount St. Charles 53-41, but have dropped their last two against Classical and North Providence.

Pilgrim has a new look this season as it is led by a small group of seniors and many underclassmen.

“We have some new faces this year, we have a bunch of new freshmen, some new sophomores. Most of them are experienced swimmers which is great, but right now, we are still building our team,” said Pilgrim coach Dori LaBella. “We have had to deal with illness, so right now we just need to keep improving our times.”

Some of Pilgrim’s leaders include Erin Cassady, who competes in the freestyle events. Madeline Hopkins leads Pilgrim in the butterfly, while Emily Diggle competes in the distance swims. Kara Lee and Kaylee Collins have also made a splash and helped fill out the relay squads.

In her second year at the helm, LaBella has also made adjustments, including more practice time in and out of the pool.

“It’s just about getting the yards in practice. The more you practice the better you get. Practice, practice, practice. We also have been working on land as well which has been helpful,” said LaBella.

The Lady Pats continue their league schedule tonight when they travel to Smithfield for their fourth contest of the season.

Looking forward, LaBella hopes to see the young, rising team continue to work hard, improve their times, and build a strong foundation for the future of the program.

“We want to keep improving and to do well at divisions again. We need to stay healthy, if we can do that then we should do well,” said LaBella. “We’ve been competitive, we’ve been swimming right along in these meets. Our seniors have been great leaders for us too, they are great at recognizing what we need to work on and what we need to do at practice.”