After months of hard work and training, the Tigersharks will be competing at the TISCA meet in Frisco, Texas.

The meet, which will be held Dec. 11-13, hosts over 20 teams and provides stiff competition for the Sharks. However, swim coach Carl Auel is confident that the Lady Tigersharks will be able to hold their own.

“I think the girl’s team has shown a lot of depth and thats helped us in quite a few meets. [They] will definitely do well at TISCA.” Auel said.  “At the Red River Shootout in Frisco, the only teams that beat [the girls] were from Oklahoma.”

Things aren’t as certain for the boys’ team.

“A lot of the guys who scored at the last meet are probably not going to score at Frisco TISCA.” Auel said.  “It’s a bigger meet, and there’s definitely going to be more competition for them.”

Despite the difficulty of the meet, senior team captain Zack Norton hopes the Tigersharks will be ready for the challenge.

“Frisco has some good swimmers and we are going to have to train extra hard if we want to be ready.” Norton said. “[TISCA] is usually more difficult than regionals, but I believe the guys will put up a good fight.”

On the girls’ side, senior team captain Lexi Watkins believes relays will be a big advantage for the Lady Tigersharks at TISCA.

“I believe our relays are our strongest aspect, definitely. We have so many girls that can go fast in sprint [freestyle] and we have some good sprint stroke swimmers as well,” Watkins said. “Even our B relays do pretty well.”

Senior Team captain Oralia Basurto believes the team’s dedication to the sport will also pay off at TISCA.

“We have been working really hard this year,” Basurto said. “We help each other train to get better and we always make sure no one’s slacking. We want to get the best out of everyone.”

For the Tigersharks, the Frisco TISCA meet also provides the swimmers with opportunities to bond with their teammates.

“My favorite part about TISCA is spending the night in the hotel with the team,” Watkins said. “It gives us time to connect and prepare for our races.”

On the day of the meet, the Tigersharks will be rested and ready to perform at their best.  While some may consider their competition too difficult, the team as a whole thrives under pressure.

“We’re looking to see continued improvement at TISCA.” Auel said. “Get some season best times and hopefully that will get some folks motivated to work through Christmas and get set for the end of the season.”