At the 14 and under state championships in the middle of July, the best swimmers in the state were ready to compete in the 200-meter backstroke. In an extremely competitive field, Sloane Whelehan (‘27) swam a personal best and won the state championship.
Whelehan’s swimming career began early, swimming competitively from a young age. In an interview with the GH Falcon, Whelehan stated, “I began swimming when I was six years old. [At that time], I was swimming for my neighborhood over the summer.”
After immense success over the summer, Whelehan began swimming year-round at the Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC). Her success continued to the year-round circuit, setting six state records that still stand today. The six records she holds are the 8 and under 50-meter freestyle, 50-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard IM. In addition, Whelehan also holds the 10 and under 100-yard backstroke state record.
As one of the most demanding sports, continued swimming success takes a lot of time and effort. Whelehan detailed what an average day looked like over the summer stating, “Three days a week I swim doubles, which involves going 7-9 in the morning and then 3:45-5:45 at night. The other three days I only swim two hours a day.” In addition to the 18 hours in the pool per week, Whelehan also does “dryland”, a combination of weight and stamina training three times a week.
All of these hours of training lead to meets, a grueling weekend that requires peak performance. Whelehan detailed what her meet schedule looks like saying, “We have meets once per month, Friday-Sunday. Prelims start at 7 in the morning and go until noon, and then finals go from 4:30-7.”
Results have followed Whelehan’s hard work. Currently ranked in the top 10 in the country per SwimRank, Whelehan has also found success on the Green Hope swim team. After multiple successful meets, Whelehan has qualified for regionals, the first step towards winning a state championship. When asked about the remainder of the high school season, Whelehan responded, “I am excited to make it to states… and I am hoping that we can win.”
With her swimming prowess, Whelehan will be able to swim at a Power 5 Division I program. She told the GH Falcon that while she had not thought of schools she would like to swim at yet, she wants to swim at the next level.
