This year De Soto High School added a girls’ swim team to its athletic activities. The team was filled with students who have never competed in swim before. Even though the team had this challenge, the coaches  and swimmers feel the team has been successful and shown improvement through out the entirety of the season.

“We’ve come so far as a completely new and inexperienced team,” said new swimmer junior Meaghan King.

Head coach Amy Hanna agreed with King

“This year was awesome. We took a huge team of determined women who couldn’t swim or had never competed before and made a swim team out of them,” Hanna said.

The team also grew together. Being a new team, there were many upper and lower classmen participating. The girls helped support each other no matter their age.

“They all grew into swimmers, but I think they also grew into a large group of women who support each other and can push each other to do their best,” Hanna said.

Growing as swimmers meant improving through meets. In their league meet on May 8, many girls placed in the relay and individual events and the team placed fifth overall.

After the league meet, one swimmer got a State consideration time. Freshman Lyndsey Fowks was considered to compete in the State meet in breast stroke with a 1:25.89 time.

Even with their success at league, the coaches hope that next year will be a year for even more improvement. The team hopes to move from inexperienced swimmers to great swimmers.

“This year we taught the ladies how to be swimmers, next year we can teach them how to be a force to be reckoned with. I also hope that we can build the team in numbers as well,” Hanna said.