Judge Memorial girls swim team takes fifth straight title

SALT LAKE CITY — The Judge Memorial Catholic High School Girls Swim Team won their fifth straight 3-A State Championship Title Feb. 3, at Brigham Young University. The team’s head coach, Matt Finnigan, was named Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

The team also made history with three of their teammates, the Carter sisters, placing first, second, and third in the 100 yard breast stroke. Alex Carter, a junior, has held the state record since her freshman year in the 100 yard breast stroke with a time of 1:7.71. She finished within one second of her record with a time of 1:8.71, Kenzie was second with 1:12.33, and Carolyn was third with a time of 1:13.48. Alex also helped the team win a couple relays, and swam the 500 yard freestyle.

"It is uncommon for three teammates to win first, second, and third," said Finnigan, who is also the director of community relations at Judge Memorial. "But it is even more exciting and intriguing that they are sisters. We are very proud of them."

Twin sisters Kenzie and Carolyn, who are freshman, spoke with their older sister and mentor Alex, a junior, before the race. They made up their minds to win gold, silver, and bronze. Earlier they had finished first, second, and fourth, and at the last second they realized how cool it would be to go one, two, three.

"So that was our goal," said Alex. "I knew my sisters were nervous, so we got together and talked about how we wanted to swim our race. I got in and swam and I felt very relaxed and confident that it was a good race. It was exciting to finish first and to look up at the score board and see my sisters in second and third right next to me. We all just came into each other’s lanes and hugged each other. It was a special moment."

Finnigan said their teammates were lined up on one side of the pool excitedly watching while the girls swam. Carolyn hit the last turn and brought the race home beating Trish Cox from Tooele High School who had been in third place.

"Carolyn was awesome," said Finnigan. "When she touched the wall, our entire team, and in fact, the whole place erupted because they knew the significance of this event. Even people from other teams were coming up to the sisters and the team to congratulate them. There has never been any history documented of three siblings doing this over the entire course of swimming history in Utah.

"Kenzie and Carolyn are freshmen swimming against juniors and seniors, which is a little over whelming," said Finnigan. "They were in the final eight with all the best swimmers in the state."

When the season began, the Carter sisters’ father, Stuart Carter, told the girls you can make history by winning one, two, three. They thought he was talking crazy.

"He is always telling us how much we can achieve," said Kenzie. "He says if we put our minds to it, we can accomplish whatever we want. He has always encouraged us and he loves watching us swim."

The sisters started swimming competitively when they were 10 years old, but they have been swimming since they were babies. Their father is a surfer from New Zealand, who grew up on the beach. He is a water guy, they say, who also played water polo.

Finnigan said this year’s State Championship was really a team effort. The team scored more points than any team ever has in 3-A, including their team from last year. Every girl stepped up and swam their best with great times.

"What I enjoyed more than anything about this team was their love and support for each other," said Finnigan. They were together a lot training three mornings during the week, with a workout on Saturday, and five afternoon practices.

"There is nothing like seeing how much each individual girl has grown and matured from the beginning of the season, not just as swimmers, but as young adults," said Finnigan.

Finnigan grew up in Los Altos, Calif., and swam at the Santa Clara Swim Club where in 1972, seven-time Gold Medalist Mark Spitz swam, along with other notorious swimmers. Finnigan then swam for Florida State University. He brings with him the legend of the Santa Clara Swim Club, and said he is trying to institute at Judge Memorial, what he learned from the best swimmers because his teams seem to love swimming.