Eatonville's Olivia White Has Record-Breaking Performances At State Championships

Eatonville's Olivia White poses with the two medals she received after competing at the WIAA State Swimming Championships. Photo: Andrea Stammen.

The Eatonville High School swim team competed in the WIAA Girls State Swimming and Diving Championships this past Friday and Saturday.

On Friday in the prelims, Eatonville’s Olivia White would have a record-breaking day. In the 200 Yard Individual Medley, she would break her own school record and finish in 6th place in her heat, which would seed her in 6th place for the finals the following day. In the finals she would again break her school record she broke the previous day and come away with a 6th place finish in the state.

White would also compete in the 100 Yard Backstroke as well. In the prelims on Friday, you guessed it, she again broke her own school record as she would finish in the 3rd place and be seeded in 3rd for the finals on Saturday. In the finals, White would swim her lifetime best time and break yet another one of her school records as she swam her way to a 3rd place finish in the state.

The Cruiser 400 Yard Relay team consisting of Anna Benato, Rylee Valentine, Torrin White, and Olivia White also competed at state. In the prelims, the team would record their best time of the season, besting their time by over 2 seconds. Only the top 16 teams would move on to the finals. The team would finish in 18th place, which would put them in the second alternate spot going into the finals.

Head swim coach Andrea Stammen was very proud of White’s accomplishments. “All of Olivia’s accomplishments throughout the season and at State are hard-earned and well deserved. She is an exceptionally hard worker and is dedicated to her sport and team. Olivia leads by example, is always willing to help and teach her teammates, and is incredibly humble.”

Stammen went on to talk about how humble White is, “Honestly I do not believe that Olivia would have done so well if the relay team hadn’t gotten the alternate spot into the finals. Those girls are her best friends and she is so humble. She does not like to be in the limelight and constantly shifts the attention back over to the other girls and their achievements or to their team as a whole.”

Unfortunately, all of the 16 teams in the finals were able to compete and no alternates were needed so Eatonville’s 400 relay team did not get to race in the finals.