The Cathedral girls swim team gave a strong and fighting performance at the sectional meet in February. One of the highlights was sophomore Olive Cunningham qualifying for the preliminary session of state. Cunningham advanced in both the 200 Individual medley and the 100-backstroke, and breaking her own record in the backstroke.
Her performance was one of the team’s highlights this season and showed the months of training that she had put in during the time leading up to these championship meets.
The sectional meet served as the perfect gateway for Cunningham to advance to the state meet. Her performance in the 100-backstroke not only gave her a spot at state but also added a new record to the record board. Her time was the fastest in school history (with the second and third fastest times also being hers), this added another significant milestone to her sophomore season.
For head coach Amanda Long, watching an athlete reach that level is an emotional, powerful moment. “It is the most incredible feeling seeing an athlete that I coach going to state,” Long said. “I am so proud of Olive and am happy to see the hard work and dedication show through when it matters.”
Cunningham’s races reflect the overall work put in through the season that was built around consistency and constraint refinement of technique. Her 200 IM required endurance while the 100 backstroke needing speed and precision off of every wall and turn.
Advancing to prelims of the IHSAA state meet brought a new level of competition. The state meet brings together all of the sectional winners and creates an intense atmosphere that can be exhilarating but also intimidating for athletes that have not experienced that kind of pressure before.
For Cunningham, the experience proved to be physically demanding and emotionally challenging. While qualifying for state is a major event, Cunningham did not fully match the goals she had set for herself heading into the meet.
”Making it to state was one of the most surreal moments of my swimming career,” Cunningham said. “I am really glad that all of my work has paid off and even though my outcomes at state were not exactly what I had hoped, I am so proud of myself.”
Even if it wasn’t the finish she had envisioned, the accomplishment of qualifying for state in two events and setting a record represents a large step in her swimming career. The experience proved her motivation for next season to come back stronger.
For the Cathedral swim team, Cunningham’s performance shows the strength and potential of the whole team moving forward. With more seasons ahead, the Cathedral sophomore has so much potential and this experience will only help her in the future and give her valuable insight into what the state meet looks like and what adjustments need to be made to perform at the level required for this meet.
While the times may not have reflected the exact outcome wanted, the journey itself proved to be an achievement worth celebrating.
