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North Girls Swim in State Championships

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Seniors Carlie Manzick, Lucy Edele, Allison Hagge, and Junior Abby Fite stand near the St. Peters Recplex pool where they competed in the all-state championship. “I like how [swimming] is a team sport because you swim with your relays” said Abby Fite.
Seniors Carlie Manczuk, Lucy Edele, Allison Hagge, and junior Abby Fite stand near the St. Peters Recplex pool where they competed in the all-state championship.
“I like how [swimming] is a team sport because you swim with your relays,” said Fite.
On Friday and Saturday, Feb 19 and 20, the Parkway North girls swimming team went to the St. Peters Rec-Plex to compete in the Missouri State girls swimming and diving championships. Swimmers competed in different competitions such as the 200 medley, 50 freestyle, diving, and the 100 freestyle. Seniors Morgan Faust, Lucy Edele, Allison Hagge, and Carlie Manczuk; and junior Abby Fite qualified for state this year.

“This was my second year of swimming, and for only swimming for barely two years and making state is a very astonishing accomplishment,” said Fite, who competed in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, the 200 freestyle relay (with Edele, Hagge, and Manczuk). “It feels really great to have accomplished something that not a lot of people [have].”

The swimmers worked hard throughout the season to perfect their skills and had to be qualified to go into the actual championships.

“They have to earn the right to go to state. In general, they have to get a certain time for each one of the events that they qualified for,” said girls swimming coach Dawn Newport.

Once they earn that right, swimmers begin to train so that they can do well in state.

“The girls went through training after conference. Each day, they came in and practiced,” said Newport.

At the state championships, swimmers competed at different times. The girls scores are 25th at the girls 50 yard freestyle, 19th at the girls 100 yard breaststroke, 51st at the girls 1 meter diving and 31st at the girls 200 freestyle relay.

“My goal was to have fun, and make it to state. My relay team and I accomplished a lot,” said Fite.

Newport said that she was “most proud watching them together” while they were at the two-day long competition.

Swimmers not only work hard to compete, but also dedicate time to playing the sport and have to keep up their grades as well. Learning teamwork, setting personal goals, and enjoying the sport is also essential.

Fite is still deciding if she wants to swim for college. “I might swim in college. I’m still deciding, but if I wanted to, I easily could,” said Fite.

by Gabrielle Redfield, Writing Wizard