Once a Redhawk, forever a fish at heart
February 17, 2022
Counting down the last 5 days of school, Wingspan looks at the top sports moments of the year. Coming in at #3, one Redhawk, junior Maria Oushalkas, represents the Redhawks as the only swimmer to qualify for the UIL State Meet, making it her third year in a row to compete at State.
Junior Maria Oushalkas competes in the 200 free event, where she has broken multiple school records, including her own. The swimmer recently competed at state, closing out the season for her team.
Oushalkas has been competing along side her two younger sisters since she can remember. This helps to create that feeling of family both in and out of the pool.
First place in the 200 has been secured by Oushalkas multiple times before. Now, the swimmer hopes to beat out her own best time.
Finishing a lap, Oushalkas is proud of her accomplishments. She feels she has come a long way, breaking multiple school records repeatedly.
Oushalkas showing of a few of her awards in a 2019 competition.
Junior Maria Oushalkas with former Redhawk, Mallory Showalter. The pair were the only two Redhawks to advance all of the way to UIL state in 2021.
Oushalkas as a young athlete at practice. In past years, the young swimmer has swam with Texas Ford Aquatics.
Oushalkas with fellow Redhawk swimmers during the 2020-2021 season. Alumni Mallory Showalter, a former competitor of Oushalkas, is featured on the left.
Competition is not the only thing swim brings for Oushalkas. Friends and family make up another important half.
At an age when most children are just getting the basics of swimming down, junior Maria Oushalkas was already lapping the competition.
“When Maria was 6, I signed her up for swimming lessons at the Frisco Athletic Center and by chance there was a posting for swim tryouts to FASST, a local summer swim team,” dad Tom Oushalkas said. “She excelled at FASST and we moved to year round club swimming when she was 8.”
She hasn’t slowed down since.
“I started swimming about 12 years ago and I haven’t stopped since,” Maria said. “Swimming has been my life forever. It’s 4 hours a day, 6 days a week, lots of training, lots of blood, sweat, and tears, and it takes up probably 75-80% of my life.”
Swimming has been my life forever,
— Maria Oushalkas
But now instead of trying to be the best on her club team, she’s trying to be the best in the state in both the 200 and 500 free. For the third year in a row, Maria is aiming for a state championship Friday and Saturday at the UIL 5A Swimming and Diving Meet in Austin.
“It’s going to be a little different than it was last year and the year before since this year I’m alone and last year I at least had Mallory (2021 graduate Mallory Showalter) to come with me,” Maria said. “But I’m honestly really excited I’ll still have all of FISD surrounding me to help hype me up, since everyone really wants to see a good show for that 200.”
Coaching her since her freshman year, head swim coach Nick Dion believes Maria’s attitude towards swimming will help her excel at states.
It’s gonna take a lot of grit and determination, all things she possesses,
— Dion
“It’s going to take a lot, it’s gonna take a lot of grit and determination, all things she possesses,” Dion said. “You know I know she is gonna bring it to the table, so you know I’m looking forward to Friday and Saturday and seeing how she does. I mean she works really really hard in the water and she is not scared of anybody so.
Through the years Maria has met many friends, and community around the sport has made her even more passionate.
“Swimming is a very small world type sport so I know just about everyone here at fisd who swims,” she said. “And I know people outside of fisd through at least one degree of connection. It’s really nice to have a big family who understands all the troubles and pain you go through on a day to day basis. I also love the fact it has taught me many life skills like perseverance and hard work pays off.”
It’s really nice to have a big family who understands all the troubles and pain you go through on a day to day basis,
— Maria Oushalkas
Even though she has one more year left in high school, Maria sees swimming being a continuous part of her life, wanting to continue it into college and maybe even the Olympics.
“Of course like any athlete my goal is to make it to the collegiate level,” she said. “I’d even like to make the Olympic trials if I could. But i’m going into that age where I’m mature enough to accept that if I don’t, that’s ok, but obviously the goal is to swim at college; hopefully at Texas A&M where most of my past teammates are right now.”
No matter what the future holds or what happens at state, Maria has already won in the eyes of her parents.
“We are as proud as can be,” Tom Oushalkas said. “Not just because she has seen success, but because she has always been detail oriented and swimming has reinforced the benefits of that. Her success is not dependent on her size but on her technique and race plans.”
