Girls’ swim is at the tail end of their season with conference, sectionals, and state around the corner. The swimmers have been working hard this year, and they are hopeful and excited about their upcoming meets as well as for the success of the team as a whole.

Kellie Willhite, senior

How long have you been swimming?

I have been swimming at Metea for all four years, and I have been swimming since I was eight years old. My dad had me start the swim team, and I am thrilled he did.

What events do you swim?

I swim breaststroke and freestyle.

What is your favorite part of the swim team at Metea?

I love the team. I like that we practice together every day. We are so close, and we can see each other every day at school and then right after at practice. Even when we are in the weight room at 6 a.m., we are still pumped up and ready to go.

How do you think the team is doing this year?

I think we are in a perfect place right now. We are excited about going into the conference, and the rest of the championship season, so we have to keep working hard for a few more weeks, and then we are all good.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

I have been able to race pretty well. I would love to see us finish strong for our last year and state. First, we have to qualify for sectionals, though, so I am focusing on that now.

Lanie Patterson, senior

How long have you been swimming?

I have been swimming since I was six or seven. I joined my neighborhood swim team. It was just something to do over the summer, but then I really started enjoying it.

What events do you swim?

I swim the 100 breaststrokes and the 200 IM.

What is your favorite part of the swim team?

Swimming has taught me that the hard work I put in is worth it in the end. It is hard sometimes to keep working hard and have a positive attitude, but you can see the results if you keep pushing. 

What is your favorite part of swim at Metea?

I would have to say the team atmosphere we have created here is unlike a lot of teams in the area. I think the Metea swim team is more than just a swim team, but it is like a family. We are improving a lot, and we are working hard.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

I want to drop time for the rest of the season. I want to reach my personal best. I think I am doing better than I have in the past years, which is good. I can always go faster, but right now, I am trying to pull the pace that I have been practicing. 

Laurel Bludgen, senior

How long have you been swimming?

I have been swimming since I was around eight years old. I started swimming at a small team in my neighborhood, and I absolutely loved it, so I joined the club team. 

What events do you swim?

I swim sprint freestyle, so I do the 50 free and the 100 free — also, the 200 free relays and 400 free relays.

What do you like about swimming?

I love being in the water with my friends and working hard. It is a lot of fun. I get to compete with all the people that I hang out with every day and go to school with, and it is so much fun to be a part of the environment. 

How do you think the team is doing this year?

I think we are all swimming well, and we have been working extremely hard, and we are going to continue to work hard and see what we can do at the conference, sectionals, and state. 

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

My goals are to continue to work hard throughout the season and see what I can do at our end of the season meets. I hope to see a lot more improvement for the rest of the season.

Aimee Patterson, senior

How long have you been swimming?

I have been swimming since I was six or seven. I started with my neighborhood swim team, and then we started doing the club a little after that.

What events do you swim?

The 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle are the events I swim.

What do you like about swimming at Metea?

The coaches are amazing. They are supportive, and they push us a lot, and they want the best for us. I think that helps us get into our minds that we can always be better, and it keeps pushing us. 

How do you feel you are doing this year?

I have been doing better than last year, and I have been improving my time from last year. I am pleased about that, so I am excited for the end of the season. I want to qualify for state at sectionals.

How do you think the team is doing this year?

As a whole, I think we have all been improving our times from last year, and I think we all have a goal in mind for a higher state finish. That is going to help us in the end, and I feel we are going to achieve that goal.