The Falcon lady swimmers are off to a hot start at the beginning of their cold season. Great effort from both new and returning swimmers have allowed the team to prosper, including a big win at the Cardinal Classic at Southport High School.
“We have a really strong senior class of girls and we also have them backed up by a number of really strong sophomores,” assistant coach Nikki Knight said.
In the past year the team has improved in the water skill and has grown significantly as well, doubling since March. These incoming swimmers allow the team to have more competitors in the water, boosting the chance of earning points.
The size of the team is not the only thing that has helped the team win. The coaches have pushed the girls to be their bests, improving times every week. “They definitely point out what we need to work on and they help us figure out what we can do better,” sophomore Morgan Lewis said.

The team has two new coaches joining head coach Lauren Cox and Knight. Assistant coaches Nate Skirvin and Meagan Bates have taken their swimming experience and flip-turned to the side of the pool.
“All four of our coaches are just really good at giving us improvements [and]; feedback, sometimes even without [us] asking, which is really nice,” senior Gigi Gumiran said, “They are really good at pushing you and they know what you need.”
The infusion of new blood has pushed the team’s veteran leadership. “Coach Bates has really good technical advice and she can help us with a lot of the minor details that really make a big difference in your race. [Coach Skirvin] has been able to help with junior varsity, and it’s just nice to have someone around who can help out,” senior Taylor Powell said.
New coaches are not the only reason for the girls’ success. Their progress comes with the trust the team has built with each other. Most of the girls have been swimming with each other for years. “We have a lot of background with each other. Like most of us have been swimming with each other since elementary school,” Powell said, “We have that bond and we can push each other to work hard.”
Most high level swimmers started out participating in club swim, which has allowed them to lead the team in a varsity position. It requires the dedication and hard work that these girls have been putting in during preseason and the regular season.
“[I have been swimming for] almost a decade,” Gumiran said, “When I started I was in elementary school.”
Being a part of a sport can help a person grow physically, mentally and socially. Because of the time spent with other people and hours put in to improve, athletes are able to gain insight on themselves. “Not only has this sport help me mature,” Lewis said, “I feel like I just have grown up with a very set group of people and we are all very close and [I] feel like I’m a lot happier.”
The girls and coaches are optimistic about the rest of the season and will continue their hard work both in and out of the pool.