It’s a swimming miracle!

Girls 400yd Relay ends in a close win for Sherwood

After a big win against Century, the Girls Swim Team officially had an undefeated season. Then, they were pronounced league champions for the Pacific Conference. 

The team had an amazing season, both competitively and as a community. The team is known for their sportsmanship and cheering those on the opposing team. This is largely due to the Swim Coach, Kristen Maples, and her encouragement of the importance of sportsmanship. This is one of the many reasons Kristen was awarded the ‘Coach of the Year’ award for the league.

The Sherwood Bowmen Swim Team went to districts during the second weekend in February, ready for a close race between McMinnville for 1st place in the league. All of the swimmers were racing their best times, or close to it, in hopes of getting enough points for the team to get 1st place. The relays would make or break the meet since they are worth more points than individual races.

At the end of day 2 of districts, the 400-yard relay team with Maddie Hutton, Maia Webb, Kiara Hafen, and Avery Conteras, all pulled a miracle. During the relays, Coach Kristen was cheering on the sidelines and was jumping up and down and waving to the swimmers to go faster. The relay team had a seed time of 3:58, but after tapering for districts, they dropped their time by 12 seconds for a final time of 3:46. This significant drop in time put them in 1st place in the relay, when projected to get 3rd. This point difference helped them get 2nd place in districts, concluding the 2023-2024 season.

Story By Madilyn M. - Edited by Elinor W.