Senior Monica Dornick epitomizes swim and dive team spirit

In swimming, there is no passing of the ball between two players, no strategizing, no careful placement of athletes on a field. UCLA swim and dive, however, bucks the trend with its unique drills in practice, building a sense of solidarity within the team.

“You notice it more in practice – the team atmosphere,” said senior Ally Loper.

During a recent practice, swimmers strapped on lengths of elastic band to their waists, swimming the length of the lane toward teammates who rapidly reeled in the band from the other end for increased speed. The swimmers on the poolside clapped, cheered and offered advice to their counterparts before switching to get into the pool.

For the sake of efficiency and ensuring that everyone received a quality workout, a volunteer assistant coach jumped into the water to help with the drill, both reeling in the bands and swimming.

When referencing team spirit, however, one particular swimmer came to the head swim coach Cyndi Gallagher’s mind.

Senior Monica Dornick, who swam anchor for the 200-meter freestyle at the Pac-12 championships last year, was so desperate to finish that – when she reached for the end of the lane – she hyperextended and broke her elbow.

“She was out for the rest of the meet – and she was on three relays for NCAAs. … This was at Pac-12, so her season ended and she had to sit there,” Gallagher said. “It was going to be her first NCAAs and being part of a relay team so it was just kind of heartbreaking.”

Far from bringing her down, however, the injury made Dornick even more steadfast in her support for her teammates. She continued to focus on cheering for the team that she had trained with all season, trusting them to do what she physically couldn’t at that point.

“I had to quickly transition my thought process from being a racer and in competitive mode to something that was completely opposite, being the No. 1 team cheerer,” Dornick said. “I was behind everyone’s lane, timing everyone … not what I had pictured my Pac-12s being.”

Since then, Dornick has continued to improve.

“She had to take two months off, so when she came back in the spring, it was painful because she was really far behind and she was just really frustrated,” Gallagher said. “She just kind of got better and better all spring and summer, and she’s a senior now, and she’s a huge team player.”

Gallagher cited Dornick as the teammate who always helps first with seemingly menial tasks, like setting up or taking down lane lines and equipment. She swims events that she doesn’t necessarily like or is good at.

Dornick, as Gallagher put it, “rise(s) to the challenge,” whether it be in the water or out on the pool deck.