Swimming to state, girls’ team finishes 3rd at regionals

provided by Dawnmarie Schneider

Winning the 5A Region III 200 medley relay championship, senior Maria Oushalkas, freshman Bella Oushalkas, junior Avery Langan, and freshman Zoe Schneider advanced to state. The girls’ swim team finished 3rd at the meet.

It’s what they had been training for since the school year started and it paid off at the UIL 5A Region III swim meet at the Bruce Eubanks Natatorium when senior Maria Oushalkas, junior Avery Langan, and freshmen Bella Oushalkas, and Zoe Schneider all qualified for state, helping the girls’ swim team finish 3rd. 

“I think, you know, we’ve been working together for a long time, I’ve swam with Maria and Bella for years now,” Langan said. “ So I think working together with them, it’s been fun going back so I thought it was a smoother transition than most teams that have to come together really quickly.” 

Not performing how they wanted in the preliminaries, Schneider says they were motivated to claim the Regional Championship which they did by beating Reedy by .33

“We were very motivated to go in and redeem ourselves after the first day of prelims,” Schneider said. “Getting back in the water this week, we were really working hard and making sure everything was clean and perfect.” 

For Bella Oushalkas, it was a busy regional meet as she swam in both relays as well as the 100 yd. backstroke, and 100 yd. breaststroke. 

“I think we did really good as a team, the team was really there that day,” Bella said. “Individual wise, I think I did pretty good, a little bummed out that I didn’t make the 100 breast, but I think I did pretty good, I dropped my personal best so that was exciting.”

Older sister Maria Oushalkas is making her fourth straight trip to state after qualifying in both relays as well as the 200 yd freestyle.

“I was really happy with how I did,” she said. “I’m definitely happy with our performances and I think we can go faster in state.”