A Saxon swimmer racing down the lanes. Photo taken by Ashley Ingebrigtsen
The Saxon swim team has been very successful in the past few years, winning multiple district titles. This year, the team is led by six captains of varying ages and skill levels. Claire Sears ‘28, Lily Larson ‘27, and Katie McClain ‘27 are the girls team captains and Ethan Rutledge ‘26, Nate Samoylich ‘26 and Calvin Stewart ‘26 are the boys team captains.
Claire Sears
Claire Sears is the youngest captain on the team. Sears began competitively swimming at just 9 years old. She grew her abilities by competing on various club teams and she loves being a part of the South team. Sears plans to use positivity to motivate swimmers on the team.
“I believe the best way to motivate someone is by reminding them of their individual importance and how much they matter on the team,” Sears said.
Sears is skilled at motivating others and reminds them that a positive mindset and encouragement given to others is more important than any time scored during a meet.
Lily Larson
Lily Larson has also been competitively swimming since a young age. She is excited for the 2025-2026 swim season and has plans to motivate her team members by cheering them on.
“Seeing people supporting me on the deck encourages me to push myself so I will always do the same for my teammates,” Larson said.
Larson notes that her goal as a captain is to motivate the team and ensure that everyone feels welcome.
Katie McClain
Katie McClain has done many summer swim leagues and has been on the South team for the past two years. She is excited this season for the sense of community that swimming brings.
“South swim is a super encouraging environment and it is always fun to watch our team build each other up and cheer each other on,” McClain said.
She expresses that victory is her goal for the team this year.
“One goal for the team is always to win districts! I would love to see our girls and our guys win the district titles,” McClain said.
Calvin Stewart
Calvin Stewart grew up swimming and this will be his fourth year on the team. Stewart reflects that this season may bring new challenges for the team.
“This season will be a more difficult season because we have a smaller team than in previous years so we will need kids to step up and fill spots,” Stewart said.
He is looking forward to seeing members of the team grow as athletes this year.
“I’m excited to see PR’s this season and I love to watch kids and myself put in work and see results,” Stewart said.
