Qualifying for the UIL State Championships for her second season in a row, varsity swimmer, Maci Finder, furthered the team’s influence not only in the pool, but also throughout the school, making waves throughout the season. Competing from Thursday, Feb. 14 to Saturday, Feb. 16, she embarked on the journey with Coach Betsy Murphy and two fellow swimmers, Molly Donaldson and Chloe Burgar, to Austin for the 2019 UIL State swim meet.
While Finder was the only athlete to compete, teammates like Donaldson felt the pressures of the competition, traveling to support Finder along the way.
“The atmosphere was so stressful. I wasn’t even swimming but I felt so stressed for everyone else,” Molly Donaldson said. “It was very different and a lot more serious than even Regionals. [I] could tell these people weren’t playing around. It was a good experience to see just how fast these other kids really are.”
Returning to State has been Finder’s goal the entire swim season as she battled health issues. Despite it all, she overcame her adversities and ended her swim season, finishing 22nd in the state of Texas.
“Through everything I’ve been through, I was just happy I made it to state,” Finder said. “I’m just really happy my hard work is paying off.”