Swimming for State

Pushing through the water, arms and legs burning, a flash of black and gold races through the water. Sophomore Rose Hutchison finally makes it to the end of her fourth lap in the 25-meter pool. Hutchison jumps out of the water and is immediately greeted by her teammates hugging and cheering for her. She realizes what she has just achieved. Hutchison has just qualified for the State meet in the 100-meter butterfly.

‘After I qualified for state I was really happy with myself and I felt accomplished. ,” Hutchison said. ” I knew that I would get to swim in the actual State meet so that made me both excited and nervous.”

So far this swim season, five swimmers have qualified for State. Along with Hutchison, sophomores Jane Evans and Peyton Gajan and seniors Addie Thompson and Rachel Edmonds have also qualified. Head coach Andy Wilcox, who is in his second year at STA, believes more swimmers will qualify before the season is over.

‘I do not have a crystal ball, but we have girls that are really close in some events,’ Wilcox said. ‘State qualifying times are not grade specific.’

Hutchison, along with the other state qualified swimmers, will compete at the State competition Feb. 18 and 19 in St. Peter’s, MO. To qualify for State, swimmers need to swim a qualifying time in an event.

State qualified swimmers

50 freestyle: Jane Evans and Rose Hutchison

100 freestyle: Peyton Gajan and Rose Hutchison

100 butterfly: Rose Hutchison

100 backstroke: Peyton Gajan

200 individual medley: Peyton Gajan

100 breaststroke: Rachel Edmonds

200 freestyle relay: Jane Evans, Peyton Gajan, Rose Hutchison, Addie Thompson

400 freestyle relay: Jane Evans, Peyton Gajan, Rose Hutchison, Addie Thompson

200 medley relay: Rachel Edmonds, Jane Evans, Peyton Gajan, Rose Hutchison

Team grows stronger in and out of pool

The swim team has undergone many changes in the last two years, including a new head coach, assistant coach and practice location. However, Wilcox does not believe he is the reason for all the change.

‘[The change] is a result of a fundamental paradigm shift in personal and team expectations,’ Wilcox said. ‘This team has always had the potential, now they know it. Now they live and train for it.’

Junior Jacqueline Kerr believes Wilcox is the main reason for the team having more success.

‘I think [the change is because of] a new coach,’ Kerr said. ‘Our practices are getting harder and we’re all improving. All of us are getting stronger and we have more endurance.’

Kerr says that Wilcox’s practices help the team to swim faster in meets.

“One day with our old coach, we walked around in the lazy river current as one of our practices,” Kerr said. “Then a few of us had to go over and swim with [Coach Wilcox’s] team. That was probably one of the hardest practices I ever had.”

Now, Kerr says she can not only swim Wilcox’s practices, but even harder ones.

Kerr also believes part of the success the team has had is because of Wilcox’s emphasis on being a team.

‘[Coach Wilcox] always tells us ‘Ëœno one swims alone,” Kerr said. ‘We all have to get back in at the end of each meet and swim together. It’s team building.’

Hutchison agrees with Kerr.

‘Coach Wilcox has been very persistent about us swimming as a team,’ Hutchison said. ‘When someone qualifies for state, we all clap and everyone is really excited for them.’

As for the future, Kerr believes the team will only grow bigger and stronger. Wilcox agrees.

‘They continue to improve individually and as a team,’ Wilcox said. ‘They are training hard and beyond their personal expectations.’

As Hutchison steps out of the pool and talks with her teammates, amid all the excitement about State, she realizes the sense of unity they all have and share. Wilcox echoes this feeling.

“They believe in themselves,” Wilcox said. “I feel absolutely blessed to be part of such a fantastic team.”

For more information about the swim team, check out their Moodle page here.