The girls swimming and diving team at Highland Park High School has been on a roll since 2001. They won a state championship that year and have successfully defended their title ever since.
"We're a school with tradition and once we get a tradition started, no one wants to break it," says head coach Jess Cole. "I think that's really what makes it happen. They always have a good attitude and always trying to to the best and they're always talking about how can I get better."
When it comes to high school teams of the decade, it's hard not to put the highland swimming and diving team at the top. Afterall, they've won a state record nine straight state championships. This weekend, they're going for ten in a row.
"Its a tradition that you want to hold on to as you can and even though, our tradition is of excellence," says Katie Streepey. "It's not necessarily about being the best all the time, but it's about giving the best."
"It's always about we have to win we have to do this because we've done it for so long, why stop now," says Allison Arnold.
Arnold was recruited by as many as 30 division I colleges before deciding on Stanford. She holds the state records in both the 200 and 500 meter free style. In her four years, she has never lost a race in district, regional or state competition.
Says Arnold, "The girl who had the 500 record before me, she was on the team my freshman year and I look up to her so much and now I have her records, it's kind of weird because now i'm kind of that figure to the younger swimmers out there and I just, these four years have gone by so fast."
And so has the decade which has belonged to this program. "It is one for the decades if we can go ten, nine was great to set the UIL record but ten would be a nice round number," says Cole.
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