Just Keep Swimming--Swim Season Summary
By Zoe Nix--Eagle Staff Writer
Is that a fish? Is that a submarine? No, it’s the FCHS swim team!
Swim season started on Dec. 14, much later compared to the usual start time in mid-October.
Still, the team performed at what they consider their best, despite the shortened season.
“The swim season has been great for me. I’ve improved a lot. Obviously it’s been weird with Covid and stuff. We weren’t allowed to do many high school meets, but the ones we could have were fun,” Mallorie Teer, sophomore, said.
For others, the season was a bit of a let down.
“The swim season was interesting because of Corona, but it was very uneventful and short lived,” Landon Akers, sophomore, said.
Hannah White is the usual coach for the team, but took maternity leave during the season, which left assistant coach Thomas Thurman in charge.
Thurman is very proud of the team and the season they had together.
“I am proud of the team,” he began. “Not for how well they swam, or their attendance, or athletic ability. These students work hard in and out of the water. I make it clear that I couldn't care less how well they perform in the water. I care more about how they perform outside of the water. How they treat others. How they care. How they speak, and above all, how they treat other people. For THAT reason, I am proud of these students.”
The last regular meet of the swim season was this past Jan. 27, leaving just the regionals on Feb. 6, and the states on Feb. 25. The team had one athlete make it to states. That athlete was Mallorie Teer.
“Making it to states was super fun and I’m so happy that I made it. It was weird not having my coaches there because of Covid, but it was fun nonetheless,” Teer said. “I always enjoy racing, so getting to race against great swimmers was super fun. If all goes well, next year I’ll get to race in states again, hopefully with some of my teammates.”
Throughout the process, Teer had support from her teammates.
“I think that it is an awesome opportunity for [Teer] to get more positive exposure for the swim team and the high school,” Akers smiled.
For the future, the team has many dreams, including Akers.
“In the future. I would love to get a scholarship for swimming. It would help me advance in swimming and give me exercise during college,” he said.
Teer is in full support of that as she encourages her team to continue on.
“I want to encourage my other teammates to keep swimming on the high school team. Hopefully next year it will be back to normal and we can have more meets. And if you really like swimming, there are tons of club teams you can join. We are always looking for new additions to the high school team, so I encourage anyone interested to give it a chance," she concluded.