The cheer of her teammates rang in her ears as she pushed off the starting block for the 500 freestyle. Ava Griffith, captain of the Pioneer swim team, competed against Skyline, Huron, Dexter, Monroe, Saline and Bedford at the Southeastern Conference (SECs) on Friday Nov. 7th and Saturday Nov. 8th, 2025. The meet consisted of all 12 events. This meet was especially unique because three records were broken. The 200 freestyle relay pool record was broken by the Pioneer A relay team and Adrienne Schadler, a junior at CHS, who swims for Skyline High School, broke the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle SEC records. The records that were broken, became the fastest times to ever be swam at that meet at Hill pool.
Griffith has been a part of the Pioneer swim team since her freshman year, she believes that support from her coach and her teammates is the reason for her passion and love for the sport.
“My coach gives us these really great pep talks,” Griffith said. “She pushes us to be the best that we can be and makes sure that we’re nothing short of our best, because that’s the only thing that she expects from us.”
Pioneer won the meet, and Griffith came in 5th in the 500 freestyle overall. But to her, swimming is about more than the spot on the podium. The long practices and early morning workouts can take a toll both physically and mentally, so the Pioneer team has come up with ways to combat this and bring up the team as a whole.
“We have a lot of positive sayings that are all in our locker room on these little banners,” Griffith said. “So one of our words is quinoa, which is our code word. If someone’s being negative, you check them and say ‘quinoa’. We don’t want to be negative at practice. Don’t bring other people down with you.”
What began in small neighborhood pools turned into swimming at SECs for her last time as a senior, Sophie Alcumbrack McDaniel went in wanting to enjoy her last time in a racing suit. Alcumbrack McDaniel has spent her life in the water, from early summer practices at Forestbrook as a kid to 5:00 am high school preseason practices. In her final meet swimming for Huron, Alcumbrack McDaniel wanted it to be more than just the race, but about creating a great experience for herself.
Swimming the 200 medley relay, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 400 freestyle relay, Alcumbrack McDaniel approached the two-day competition with a mindset shaped by years in the sport. It was all about having fun and having the best ending to her season as possible.
“No matter how good I swam or how good other people swam, the only thing that really mattered to me was that I made it a good memory to remember,” Alcumbrack McDaniel said. “I just really tried to keep a mindset of, as long as I’m having fun, nothing else matters, because this is the last one.”
Leading up to SECs, Alcumbrack McDaniel says special traditions make up a large portion of preparation. The team shifts into tapering mode, scaling back training to reserve every last bit of energy for race day. The night before SECs combine preparation and tradition, the team heads home for a “shaving party”. The swimmers are supposed to avoid shaving all season, so by shaving before SECs, they manage to cut down precious milliseconds in their times.
“It seems super ridiculous, as if a centimeter of body hair would change that much,” Alcumbrack McDaniel said. “But with shaving, tech suits, and tapering, you can really feel the difference”.
Then the team gathers for a big team dinner filled with games, food, and the annual surprise pie-to-the-face for a chosen freshman, a way to dedicate a certain freshman for their commitment and impact on the team. After an early night, the team regroups for breakfast and heads to SECs together, grounded by routine and love for each other.
This year’s SECs highlighted far more than fast swims and broken records—it showcased the dedication and spirit that fuel each athlete. For Griffith, the support of her teammates and coach shaped both her performance and her passion. For Alcumbrack McDaniel, the traditions and friendships turned her final meet into a memory she’ll carry long after leaving the pool deck. Together, their stories show that what lasts longest in swimming isn’t the time on the clock, but the people and moments behind it.
