Senior swimmer Lydia Fink has had numerous accomplishments during her time on the swim team, allowing her to break records and even be featured in an article about the top 25 Class 6A swimmers to watch in 2024 by KSHSAA.
“I started swimming over the summer when I was in second grade,” Fink said. “And then I went up ‘till the middle of fourth grade and I quit because I didn’t feel like it was a very team sport and I felt very alone because it was on a club team and then I started swimming again during winter break of my freshman year.”
Fink has placed at State in the past, earning fourth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.4 in 2023, fifth with a 54.34 in the 100 freestyle, fourth in the 200 freestyle relay and fifth in the 400 freestyle relay at state.
“The accomplishments that got me in that article were last year,” Fink said. “My junior year one was because I was on the 50 free and it said that I got fourth, the 100 free I got seventh the first day which was prelims, then with that I got to swim at finals and I got fifth in finals.”
Fink has been on the swim team for all four years of high school with teammates she has been able to bond with through the sport.
“The comradery and the teamwork we all have to put in together, it’s just so fun,” Fink said. “And we just get to talk with a bunch of other girls that go to school with me, then we just hang out and swim together. I also just love the feeling of swimming, like gliding through the water.”
Fink also recently placed first in the 200 freestyle, setting a school record despite it being her first time swimming it since freshman year In addition, she also placed first in the 100 freestyle, her time being exactly the same as it was at state the previous year.
“I hope to accomplish going to State again, which I already completed,” Fink said. “I’m just hoping we can medal again this year and I’d like to medal in both of my individual events again and it would be really nice to have a chance to medal in relays again.”
State begins on May 17 for the preliminaries and continues on May 18 for the finals, the location rotates each year and this year will be at the Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center.
