Another Celina sports team that has made history is the Celina Swim Team. This month, Celina Lifestyle highlights the Celina High School (CHS) Swim Team.
The team started in 2017 but has grown and flourished over the last few years. Last year, CHS had a boy’s relay attend a regionals swim meet. This past February, Celina had a relay in the boys’ and girls’ divisions, participating in both regionals and state meets for the first time in school history. In total, Celina had five males and five females going farther than ever before attending region or state swimming meets.
Head Coach Ellyn Hewett is proud of the growth and success. “I have loved getting to see the kids set their goals and meet their goals,” says Hewett. “We keep growing and get more talented. Each year, the competition gets faster and faster, but we are starting to have times as fast as 5A/6A schools,” she continued.
It was that talent that brought home historic medals and victories to CHS. This past February, Reagan Hix won the State Championship in the Girls 500 Yard Freestyle -- a first for Celina -- while Kate Heffernan earned a second-place finish in the Girls 100 Yard Backstroke. Heffernan also earned a bronze (third) for the Girls 100 Yard Freestyle, and Hix gained an additional silver (second) for the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle.
Celina had other athletes participate in the state swim meet, including girls Iylana “Izzy” Whittemore (the only senior), Zoey Steinhaus, and alternate Corinne Bomberger. Akshat Pandey represented the CHS in the boys’ relay team.
Hewett appreciated the support of Athletic Director, Bill Elliott, and the community’s enthusiastic “State Send-Off” plus the orange water tower honoring the state champs. “Everybody was there for us,” she said.
Assistant Coach Carrie Keaveney also coaches the CHS swim team. The season runs from August through February. For information, contact Coach Hewett via CHS Athletics.