Young Swimmers Leading Resurgence for Blue Wave
As a freshman, Lindsey Hosch reached the Class 5A state meet, and she wasn’t even swimming her favorite event.
Hosch was pleased but not satisfied with that showing in the 100-yard butterfly. She wanted to return in the same race, but add her best event to her state repertoire.
The efforts of the Highland Park sophomore paid off with a silver medal in the 100 breaststroke at this year’s state meet. She also made the finals in the butterfly and in two relays.
“I wanted to shift my focus because I like to swim breaststroke and thought I could do really well at it,” Hosch said. “I know I have the most potential in breaststroke, but I like training fly, too.”
“Next year, we should be even better.” -Lindsey Hosch
That versatility is common among the Blue Wave’s top swimmers and is a primary reason why a youth movement has fueled the HP girls to recent success.
At the beginning of the season, Hosch was finishing around 1 minute, 7 seconds in the 100 breaststroke. Her final time at state was 1:03.9, which broke a 14-year-old school record and was less than 0.5 seconds behind state champion Jess Yeager of Georgetown East View.
In the girls 200 medley relay, the Blue Wave came in fifth with Hosch, Maddy Helton, Sophia Pan, and Katherine Huang. And the 200 freestyle relay team of Hosch, Huang, Morgan Rehme, and Alicia Bi was eighth overall.
“We’re all really close,” Hosch said. “We motivate and push each other. It’s a great group of girls.”
While Hosch placed seventh in the 100 fly, Helton took fifth place individually in the 100 backstroke. HP was sixth in the girls team standings.
That’s not quite at the same level as the Blue Wave’s heyday during the first decade of the 21st century, when the girls claimed an unprecedented 10 consecutive 4A state championships — a record for any UIL sport that will be difficult to match.
The streak began in 2001, which was the second year after the UIL created separate 5A and 4A classifications for swimming. HP later made it 12 titles in 13 years after winning again in 2012 and 2013.
It will be difficult to replicate such historic achievements, but Hosch and her teammates hope to continue making a splash in 2021. HP will lose only one of its six state qualifiers to graduation.
“I think that will motivate us more,” Hosch said. “Next year, we should be even better.”
