Decatur and Todd Beamer girls swimmers open 2024 season

Decatur has 40 swimmers this season and have built a positive community in the pool.

By Benjamin Ray • September 26, 2024 8:45 am

Decatur High School’s girls swim team members have their eyes set on all-city as the 2024 swim season kicked off in a dual meet against Todd Beamer High School.

This year, Decatur has 40 girls, the most in the city. Todd Beamer had six. They key? Building a community and having a Sam Hunt as coach.

“There are a lot of girls that have experience swimming and a lot of girls that are learning how to swim… Making a community and family to me is what Decatur swim is all about,” Hunt said.

Hunt is a science teacher and also an award-winning wrestling coach last season. Hunt admittedly isn’t a swim guy, but along with his assistant coaches Emily Hess and Kimberly Walling, they are the secret ingredients for Decatur swim.

“For me I can focus on the girls learning how to swim. They both have way more experience swimming than I do. I tell them my job is to get them to the pool and Hess and Kimberly coach them in the pool,” Hunt said.

While Todd Beamer didn’t have many swimmers competing, Decatur still took it as seriously as any other swim meet. A special moment in the meet occurred during the 50-yard freestyle.

The 50-free, for people who don’t know, is the shortest and quickest race that girls can swim in high school swim. Coaches typically let the inexperienced swimmers compete in the 50-free.

Swimming laps is no joke — it’s hard. The strength and coordination to keep yourself up and propel yourself forward are part of some of the most difficult movements in sports. Because in most sports, if you stop, you just stand or sit down. You can’t do that in a pool.

A Decatur swimmer was struggling on the back half of her 50-free. She made occasional stops, holding the lane lines momentarily to catch her breath. At this point every other swimmer had finished their race. All eyes were on this swimmer, who was struggling and had the attention of the entire pool on her.

But her teammates showed immense support. The sound of their cheers rang throughout the entire Federal Way Community Center. That is exactly how Hunt wants his program to be.

“For me that is what high school sports are all about. We don’t have any club swim, but have girls that love to swim and are learning to swim. To see the growth they have and the speed that they are learning it at is why I do what I do,” Hunt said.

Decatur and Federal Way high schools in general haven’t had much success at a state level in recent history. Since COVID, all four schools have combined for 12 points since 2021. Thomas Jefferson High School scored nine back in 2022. Decatur’s own Amaya Johnson recorded three points as a diver last season, finishing in 14th place.

The last Gator to record points at state? Their own assistant coach Kimberly Walling (200-freestyle, 2019), who placed 13th.

Decatur lost its swim meet to Enumclaw so its league championship hopes are off the table, but there’s the all-city meet on Oct. 22.

“I am excited to see how we do against the other teams in the league. Looking at all-city, that is our thing now. After Enumclaw beat us, we can’t win league. But we have the depth to do well at (all-city),” Hunt said.

“We have the biggest team in the district. The girls are excited and want to be a part of it.”