By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

GRANITE QUARRY — Well-rounded 15-year-old Addy Sechriest lists her hobbies as drawing, piano, chorus and swimming.

But not necessarily in that order.

Swimming is becoming an increasingly important part of the East Rowan sophomore’s life. It’s a passion she pursues year-round now.

“My older sister (Makenzie) is a swimmer and kind of pushed me into the sport,” Sechriest said with a laugh. “But I didn’t want to swim, didn’t like it all, at first. It was just one of those things that the more I did it, the more I grew to love it.”

Sechriest was good at it. People tend to enjoy doing things they’re good at it. A Rowan Aquatic Club swimmer, she’s now in the water five or six days a week, two hours a day.

As an East freshman, Sechriest was a solid swimmer. In the Rowan County Championships, she won the 200 and 500 freestyle races, her best two events, and she helped the Mustangs place high in two relays.

A ranked swimmer in the state in the Class of 2026, she made serious strides as a sophomore.

“She had an amazing freshman season, and then just blossomed as a sophomore,” East coach Amanda Trexler said. “She crushed every goal she set for herself this year. She focused on getting her times better in the 200 free and 500 free and was able to go to States in both of those events. Once she sets her mind towards a specific goal, you can bet she is going to reach it.”

The South Piedmont Conference is a stout 3A swim league. Sechriest was SPC champ in the 500 freestyle.

In the Rowan County Championships held on Jan. 26 at Hurley YMCA, Sechriest repeated as county champ in the 200 and 500, but with much quicker times than her freshman season. She anchored East winners in the 200 free relay and 400 free relay for a 4-for-4 day. She and teammate Gracie Lineberger, who also went 4-for-4, were named co-MVPs of the meet.

Sechriest continued to drop time in the 3A Western Regional held at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center on Feb. 2. She swam 2:02 in the 200, eight seconds faster than her county time, to place fourth. She sliced 21 seconds off her county-winning time to place fifth with a 5:36 clocking in the 500. She helped East’s relay teams finish eighth and ninth.

“I had some really good sophomore experiences,” Sechriest said. “I got more serious about swimming. There was a lot of progress, and a big part of that was having a better idea what to expect as a sophomore than I did as a freshman. I had a supportive team that was always up for the meets and ready to cheer for each other and I had supportive coaches.”

In the 3A State Championships held in Cary, Sechriest placed eighth in the 200 and swam 5:28 for 11th in the 500.

The final swim of the season meant a lot to Sechriest, as she followed her older sister into the pool in the 400 free relay. It was the last swim for Makenzie Sechriest, but the little sister that she once had to push into the pool is just getting started.

“It was a good season, but the best memory of all will be swimming the relay at States with my sister,” Sechriest said.

Trexler envisions big things ahead for her young standout.

“Addy was such a positive role model all year for our swimmers that needed to learn strokes or just get better technique,” Trexler said. “You could always find her cheering on her teammates at meets, pushing them to do better. I can’t wait to see what the next two years have in store for her. She is going to do amazing things.”

•••

The criteria for All-Rowan County is winning a relay in the county meet, finishing in the top two in an individual event in the county meet or winning a conference championship.

Salisbury’s girls finished third in the 200 free relay in the county meet, but won the event in the Central Carolina Conference Championships.

There are a few Honorable Mentions, as well. South’s Laurel Everett swam on two second-place relays, had an individual third place and scored a bundle of points for the Raider team that won the county meet. Marion Blake was the leading scorer for West in the county meet.  Karlee Wagoner swam on East’s relay team in the 3A State Championships.

 

All-Rowan County

• Swimmer of the Year — Addy Sechriest, East

• Coach of the Year — Jarrod Smith, South

• East — Addy Sechriest, Gracie Lineberger, Makenzie Sechriest, Mady Morris

• South — Kadence Bebber, Aiden Shepherd, Ava Blume, Audrey Rockstad, Ryleigh Fulghum, Brinley Patterson

• Salisbury — Lucy Heilig, Ava Morris, Meredith Williams, Kate Kisarova

• Carson — Karis Miller

Honorable Mention

• Laurel Everett, South; Marion Blake, West; Karlee Wagoner, East