Four years ago, the Greenhills girls swim team dove into the water for the first time. 2022 was the very first year that the girls team competed separate from the boys team. Today, they’re not just competing, they’re rewriting the record board, with team captain Sophia Hazzi ’26 helping to shape the program from the start.

 “There are swimmers from all different levels, club swimmers, summer swimmers, people who just swim for high school,” said Hazzi. “But we’ve all come together this year. It feels like we’re supporting each other no matter what group we came from.”

The swim team is a co-op between St. Catherines, Whitmore Lake and Greenhills. They have in water practice everyday at Whitmore Lake highschool. However the Greenhills swimmers also have to attend dry land 3 days a week before school.

“Everything’s required for most swimmers, but those morning drylands are optional,” said Hazzi “But we’ve had a lot more people who come voluntarily because they want to show up and they want to get better. It keeps pushing us forward. It’s great for the community.”

The community that the swim team has fostered is integral to the team. Sadie Skiles ‘28 was on the team last year and decided to swim with the team again this year. 

“The main reason I wanted to come back to the team this year is because of the team dynamics,” said Skiles. “I made such great friendships my freshman year, and being on a team with all those amazing people was one of the best experiences I’ve had, and I wanted to come back to that.”

This support has translated into the water. The swim season has only been going on for a few short weeks, in this time they have gone undefeated and already broken multiple records. Skiles, Addison Gregg ‘28, Viv Simon ‘28, and Amelia Levin ‘29 broke  the Whitmore Lake pool record in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:59.47.

For Skiles, being in this relay was both exciting and motivating.

“Breaking a record with my teammates was such a cool experience,” said Skiles “It just showed how much work we’ve all been putting in. Relays are about trust, and I think that moment showed how strong we are as a team.”

The strength of the team relies on all members old and new. Addison Gregg ‘28 only joined the Greenhills team this year but has already re-written the record board. This might be her first year on the Greenhills team but it is not her first year on a swim team. 

  “Club swimming is all about your personal bests,” Gregg said. “High school is about the team. Every single point matters, whether it’s first place or fifth. Relays especially feel bigger because you’re not just swimming for yourself you’re swimming for three other people.”

This team first mentality is something the Hazzi has noticed develop through the seasons. 

 “When we first started, one of our main goals was to rewrite the record board,” said Hazzi. “It’s amazing to see people hitting those times, but what matters just as much is everyone else who shows up to practice and races hard. Every swim contributes to our success.”

Though the team has only had two meets this season their goal of re-writing the record board is coming true. 

“In my short time on the team I’ve broken the 200 free school record as well as the 100 gly record,” said Gregg. 

This may have been the only school record broken thus far in the season but there is still much time to go including meets such as the Catholic High school League Championship and the state meet. Qualifying for the state meet happened throughout the entire season. 

“I have gotten the 100 breaststroke and the 200 freestyle state qualifying times, being one of two individual qualifiers,” said Gregg.

As the season continues, the team is keeping their eyes on more than just record. Hazzi hopes that the culture that they have built, one of encouragement, accountability, and shared goals will continue after she graduates.

As the season continues, the team is keeping their eyes on more than just records. Hazzi hopes that the culture they’ve built, one of encouragement, accountability, and shared goals—will carry on after she graduates. 

“It’s all worth it the extra driving and the demanding practices because we show up and we do it as a team,” said Hazzi. “It makes everything so easy. It makes chasing times or personal bests feel more rewarding. We earn things as a team. I say this in practice, we always move together. As the season goes on we hope to get some strong leads, personal bests from people all across the board. So we can leave it in a good place for next year.”

That lasting mindset is what makes this year special, as the combination of new records, state qualifiers, and personal bests has marked the season as a significant step in the program’s growth.