Making a Splash
Girls swim team prepares for the state championship.
As swim State approaches at the beginning of February, many girls are doing better than they expected. With the team making three State times as of mid-January, Junior Madisyn Carmichael qualified in all three events.
“I do 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, medley relay and 400 freestyle relay,” Carmichael said. “During practice I sprint. After practice a few times a week, I lift weights and roll out my muscles.”
Members of the team all have very experiences with swim. While some do swim for fun or have little experience, some girls, like freshman Sidney-Ann Morris, come with a deep understanding of the sport.
“I swim in the highest lane, so I swim with girls that are way older than me,” Morris said. “I was really worried about that at first, but they’re all so nice.”
Underclassmen on the team look up to seniors like Jane Sundell who have found a balance between school activities and being a good friend and teammate.
“Jane does so many sports, I don’t know how she has time for it all. She has so many things to do and I really want to be like her,” Morris said.
As seniors get ready for their last chance at State, many have started to look back at traditions they hope will continue on the team even after graduation.
“We throw pasta parties together where the team goes over to someone’s house and their parents host it,” senior spirit leader Camryn Harris said. “They cook lots of pasta and we eat before a swim meet and carb up. We have a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.”
Even in tough waters, the girls always cheer each other on. Sophomore Kaylie Davis thinks this is because of the leadership the team has this year.
“Practices are sometimes challenging, but we always get through them,” Davis said. “The seniors always have fun and they try to push the team-aspect.”
Junior Anna-Claire Matz is another team leader.
“The juniors are pretty tight-knit because we’ve been together for the past two years,” Matz said. “I’m good friends with all the juniors, and I think we’re ready. I think we can take it.”
The excitement about the season is all around. Swim coach Chris Murphy sees the progress the girls have made throughout the year, both in their swimming and as a group.
“The way they come together as a team is probably the best part,” Murphy said. “They adopt a family around Christmas and buy gifts for them. They have an annual team sleepover where they end up crashing my house and doing something crazy. The girls really like to be together.”
Junior Abbey Riggs
“Swimming has taught me how to work hard for what I want, because results don’t just come without putting in the effort. It has taught me that when things get hard to not just give up and quit.”
Teammate Junior Macy Wager
“Abigail is bubbly, charismatic and energetic. She always has a smile on her face, she makes everything better. When she’s not at practice, it’s just not as fun because of the good energy she brings to the team.”
Coach Christopher Murphy
“She works extremely hard, she’s one of the hardest workers we have. What makes her stand out is her positive attitude and happiness. She’s fun to have around and she’s always laughing. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when she’s around.”
