With no pool on campus and small numbers to start with, the Renton girls swim team didn’t need any more challenges. Yet another challenge is just what the team got this season.

Because of cutbacks, the district hasn’t provided the team with transportation to practice.

“It’s hard because these kids, even if they have their licenses, they don’t have cars,” said Renton coach Diane Pavelin. “If they have a car, it’s hard to afford gas. It’s frustrating.”

Pavelin said she expects a solution to the problem soon.

Leading the way for the 11-member team are seniors Cindy Bautista and Taylor Mattheisen. Both were district qualifiers last season and Mattheisen made the all-Seamount second team. Pavelin said the two have a unique view of the program because they’ve seen it as underclassmen with older swimmers trying to rebuild the program and now as upperclassmen trying to make noise themselves. Pavelin said any hope of Renton qualifying a relay team for districts rests with the two swimmers.

“I don’t know if I’ll have a relay qualify for districts,” Pavelin said. “If it does happen, they’re going to be the happiest people on the team.”

Jessie Bass should strengthen the team once she can get in the pool. The Kennedy transfer has had some minor hang ups with her transfer, but Pavelin expect things to be cleared soon. Bass will swim in sprint events and will team with Bautista and Mattheisen to form the base of a relay hoping to qualify for districts. She also gives Pavelin a view of how the Renton program differs from bigger programs like Kennedy.

“The first thing she noticed is how much individualized attention you get,” Pavelin said. “She said to me ‘you stopped me (and gave advice) more in one practice than I would get stopped in an entire season (at Kennedy)’.”

With fewer swimmers, Pavelin has more time to spend with each athlete. Not to mention there is just a swimmer or two in each lane, instead of around seven with much bigger teams.

Junior Anne Bucher has also returned to the team after swimming her freshman year and sitting out last season. Pavelin has asked Bucher to switch from sprints to distance races to better fit team needs, so she’ll be attacking the longer races this season.

The biggest challenge for Pavelin and the Renton team this season is simply not knowing what will happen.

“They’re unknowns,” she said. “One thing about this group is that they all work very hard. They just put their heads in and go, no excuses given.”