Cove’s Sarah Koza competes in the 50-yard freestyle race during the 4A/3A/2A/1A state championships in Beaverton on Feb. 19, 2022.

COVE — The Cove swimming team knows every time they take part in a meet, a team title isn’t likely due to sheer numbers, but a personal record or a top-five individual finish is well within the scope of the Leopards.

Sarah Koza has made the 16-mile one-way trip from Cove to Veterans’ Memorial Pool in La Grande, where the Leopards practice, for the past four years. A senior this year, Koza hits the pool for the Leopards for the love of the sport.

“I just enjoy the competition,” she said. “Everyone on this team knew when they started Cove is not going to win a team title at one of these huge meets. For me, winning my own race or seeing a personal best time is what’s important.”

Many sports are common throughout schools in Oregon — basketball, football, volleyball — regardless of the size of the student body. Other sports — lacrosse, dance, swim — are typically reserved for larger schools in the metro areas.

The Cove swim team is the exception. The Leopards are much like a basketball team without a local gym to hold daily practice.

For Koza, the meet is also a time to spend with Cove teammates. Koza is home-schooled and spends even more time with her father — Stephen, the team’s head coach — during practices and meets.

Coaches spend a great amount of time urging incoming freshmen to join a team or speaking of the chance to win a district title. Cove swim is no different.

“We have held some rallies, and we encourage young and upcoming swimmers to join the team,” Koza said. “We are always watching the meets with younger kids to see who is coming and talk to them about the Cove team.”

A casual observer would barely recognize the Cove team as they arrive for practice at 4 p.m. at the La Grande pool. Those arriving for the family swim time routinely outnumber the Leopards.

However, once in the water, it is all business, the same as any other high school team practice for any “typical” sport.

“The practices are very structured and tailored to the different races members of the team compete in,” Koza said. “It is two hours of hard work and preparation for upcoming meets.”

Koza said she is pleased Cove is able to practice in the evening — La Grande is in the pool in the early morning hours before the first bell of school rings.

As the swim season’s district and state competition are coming soon, this will be the finale for competitive swimming for Koza.

“I don’t plan on swimming competitively in college,” she said. “I was a club swimmer before swimming on the Cove team, which means I have done this for years. I will always swim on my own and swimming will always be a part of my life, but I want to enjoy college and not concentrate on swimming. Being in the pool will always be a part of my life but not on a team after this year.”

After spending years in the youth club program followed by high school swimming, Koza has great admiration for high school students taking up the sport for the first time as they enter their high school years.

“Swimming has just always been a part of my family and what we do since I was little,” Koza said. “I have great respect for the swimmer who just decided to enter the sport once they hit high school. It would be like never having played basketball and just deciding to play once they become a freshman.”

Koza’s future may not include swimming in a lane next to an opponent in the coming years but she still may end up at a swim facility.

“I plan on attending Central Oregon Community College in Bend in the fall,” she said. “I plan on studying massage therapy so I could end up at a swim meet in the future helping some swimmer get the kinks out after a race.”