With the summer season in the rear view mirror, people long to be indoors.
But for some athletes, they have been practicing and competing indoors since September. The Decatur High School girl’s swim team is leading an exceptional season so far with an undefeated record.
The Gators took on the Todd Beamer Titans on Thursday, Oct. 7, Decatur defeated Beamer with a final score of 131-31. Decatur was led by sophomore Violet Tucker who totaled 12 points finishing first in the 500 yard freestyle and 100 yard breaststroke. Fellow sophomore Roha Thomas also had 12 points, winning in the 200 yard IM and 100 yard butterfly. Decatur was undefeated in every single relay race with a sum of 24 points over three races.
Sam Hunt is Decatur’s head swim coach, with quite the journey to get there. Hunt began teaching at Decatur in 1998 and over the years has taken on coaching roles for a multitude of sports. During his time with the Gators, he has coached football, wrestling and also track and field. Hunt never competed in swimming growing up, but his lengthy experience allows him to lead with ease. His strategy is to have options for the swimmers.
“It is a lot more demonstration and using other coaches that know how to do stuff,” Hunt said. “It is challenging, but it is also something I enjoy.”
He has developed a culture that he and his players take pride in.
“It has to do with having the camaraderie, every swimmer feels like they are a part of it,” he said. “We have swimmers who swim outside of school competitions and swim on club teams — those girls are stars. But then we also have developed swimmers who only swim in season for us and get them to strengthen our team. Because without all the pieces it falls apart.”
When Hunt took over this team, he had 14 athletes total on the team; In 2019, that total was up to 50. After the COVID pandemic shut down athletics, Hunt has been rebuilding the program and is almost back to where he once was.
Decatur had 26 swimmers compete in last Thursday’s meet and even has enough swimmers for a JV team, with a team total of around 40.
But as seen in many other sports around the district, it is hard to tally a full roster. The opposing team was Todd Beamer High School with seven swimmers.
Hunt attributes the success to a multitude of things, but team chemistry is the key and built all season long. From going to the Tri-Cities to compete in a large invitational and staying overnight, to having a “Pink-Out” meet honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Even Coach Hunt dyed his facial hair a light shade of pink.
Hunt has a fun way of rewarding his swimmers for different reasons, such as competing in a number of events each meet or doing well in practice.
The end of the season is inching ever-closer, for their penultimate competition of the season the Gators take on Auburn Mountainview on Oct. 13 at Auburn High. If all goes well, the winner of that meet is crowned NPSL Olympic Division champion. The state tournament is held Nov. 10-11 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
It would be the first Decatur swim league title since 1997, a year before Hunt began teaching.
