BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Most Union County High School student-athletes who find themselves doing laps are using their feet on dry land. but some are doing laps in the water.
The school is competing in the sport of swimming for the first time ever, represented by junior Abby Gainey and freshman Eva Whitehead. Union County Sheriff Brad Whitehead, who is Eva’s father, said the addition of the sport was the result of talks he and his wife, Jennifer, had with Superintendent of Schools Mike Ripplinger and Athletic Director Andrew Thomas.
“They actually thought it was a great idea to start another women’s program at our high school,” Brad Whitehead said.
Whitehead serves in the role of head coach, but his wife is involved as well.
“I’m the assistant who does the paperwork,” she said.
At the time the idea of creating a swim team was being discussed, more students expressed interest, Brad Whitehead said. However, a lot of those students were involved in other sports, so the team wound up consisting of just two.
Still, it’s a start of what will hopefully grow in future years. Brad Whitehead said he’d like to see enough students participate to where they can compete in relays.
“That’s our goal,” he said. “The relays are fun.”
Jennifer Whitehead is confident the sport will grow once more students become aware of what her daughter and Gainey have been doing. Eva Whitehead has been swimming since the age of 6 and has been doing so competitively for Gator Swim Club in Gainesville, but this is Gainey’s first year of competitive swimming.
Gainey’s participation can be a selling point, Jennifer Whitehead said, adding, “It’s something that you can do for fun and just try to do your best.”
The swimmers, who competed in the District 1-1A on Oct. 25 (see related story), competed in six meets during the regular season, with Whitehead earning first-place finishes in her two events — the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley. (Medley events incorporate the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.) Whitehead also competed in the Gainesville City Championships, placing second in her events.
Brad Whitehead said Gainey, who competes in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke, has improved over the season, noting that she earned a third-place finish in the breaststroke at one meet and placed sixth or seventh in the freestyle at a meet as well.
“We’ve been proud of her. She’s working really hard,” Brad Whitehead said, adding, “For her first time swimming, she’s done well.”
A swim team at UCHS creates another opportunity for girls interested in competing in athletics, but it also gives Eva Whitehead the chance to compete in the state’s district meets and be eligible for advancing to regional and state competition.
“We wanted to be able to have the opportunity to do that,” Brad Whitehead said, adding, “She really wants to make it to state. She’s prepared and trained for it.”
Eva’s interest initially came about because of her brother, Carter, who began swimming because his father swam.
“They’re only a year apart, so when he did it, she did it,” Jennifer Whitehead said of her children. “(Carter) just kind of gave it up. (Eva) just had the skill and the passion for it more than he did.
“It does take self-discipline because it’s easy to say, ‘Hey, let’s go do something else on a Friday night.’”
Eva’s self-discipline has her devoting six days a week to the sport. She practices in Gainesville from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays and on Sundays. Mondays and Wednesdays also include 6-7:30 a.m. practices.
Because of her level of devotion, Eva said it’s hard to get her friends involved in the sport.
“None of my friends really seem interested because they see what I go through and how hard it is,” she said.
Some of her days consist of swimming 10,000-11,000 yards, Brad Whitehead said, adding, “It’s a lot, but she loves it. She’s really good at it.”
When you add the fact that having to practice involves a commute to Gainesville, swimming takes up quite a bit of time for someone who’s also having to keep up with her classroom requirements.
“A lot of times, there’s homework done in the car,” Jennifer Whitehead said.
Eva said she asks herself daily why she does it, but in all seriousness, swimming is something she enjoys. She said it’s a stress reliever because when you swim, that’s all you’re focused on. Plus, she also likes the camaraderie it provides.
“I think just being able to bond with my team and having that close connection with everyone as we’re all struggling through practices,” Eva said.
Eva began competing in summer leagues in Gainesville and eventually became involved with Gator Swim Club. A year and a half ago, she moved up to one of that organization’s elite teams.
Some of her recent highlights with Gator Swim Club include second-place finishes in the 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle and 200 breaststroke at the Sept. 9-11 Hydro4 Fall Classic as well as a third-place finish in the 200 butterfly and a fourth-place finish in the 50 freestyle at the same meet.
Earlier this year, Eva competed in the Florida Swimming Spring FLAGS (Florida Age Group Championships)-North, qualifying for the finals in the 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley. At the Summer FLAGS, she made the finals 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley.
In high school competition, she entered the District 1-1A meet as the second seed in both the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley.
Swimming isn’t just an activity. It’s also something Eva enjoys watching. She’s glued to the TV when Olympic swimming events are being aired.
“That’s like family movie night for us,” Jennifer Whitehead said.
Eva said her favorite swimmers are Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky.
As for the one event that impresses her the most, it’s the 400 individual medley, which she has competed in. Tony Austin once wrote in a 2012 Southern California Aquatics blog that a merit badge should go to any youth who simply doesn’t get disqualified while competing in the 400 medley.
“It’s extremely hard and creates pain all over your body — places you’ve never felt pain before,” Eva said.
Eva has competed in enough events to where she said she probably wouldn’t be nervous competing in the district meet.
“I’ll probably be more nervous at regionals and state if I make it,” she said.
Whatever happens, she and Gainey have already made history as the first-ever swimmers at UCHS. It would mean a lot to Eva to see the sport take off and grow in the future.
“I’d probably be proud,” she said. “We started it, and then we’d see what it has come to.”
