Lep Swimmers Shine at District, Advance 13 Events to Regional Meet

The La Grange High School Swim Team delivered a strong, well-rounded performance at the District 14-4A Swim Meet on Friday, January 23, finishing third overall and advancing six relays and seven individual events to the regional meet.

The district meet was held at Northside ISD in San Antonio and featured a competitive field including Austin Eastside, Austin Johnson, Austin Northside, Austin Travis, Comal Canyon Lake, Comal Davenport, Wimberley, Columbus, Hallettsville, the Texas School for the Blind, and Buda Live Oak. Only the top four finishers in each event advanced to regionals, which will be held next Friday and Saturday back in San Antonio.

Head coach Gretchen Ledwik said she could not be happier with her team’s performance, finishing behind Davenport and Wimberley, especially given the Leopards’ circumstances. In conversations with coaches from Wimberley and Davenport, Ledwik learned that Davenport has its own pool, while Wimberley swimmers travel only about 30 minutes to practice and are provided an eighth-period swim class, allowing for a minimum of eight hours of practice each week. By comparison, La Grange swimmers are limited to a maximum of three hours of pool time per week and often spend six hours on a bus, returning home around 8:30 p.m. with homework and studying still ahead of them. Ledwik noted that kind of commitment reflects a true love for the sport and a level of dedication she is incredibly proud of.