GODFREY - Noelle Young, an eight-year-old swimmer for Summers Port Swim Club, competed in her first-ever Southwestern Illinois Swimming Association meet on Sunday at her home club in Godfrey and did very well for her first league meet.
Young finished in eighth place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 51.75 seconds, then came in eighth in the 26-yard breaststroke, having a time of 29.91 seconds. In her next race, she finished 12th in the 25-yard backstroke, recording a time of 32.55 seconds, then finished her program with a second-place finish with her team in the 100-yard freestyle relay, having a time of 1:36.41.
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In an interview that was conducted before her first race of the day, Young expressed confidence that she would swim well in all of her races.
"It's my first SWISA and I want to do well," Young said during the meet.
When asked how she became interested in the sport, Young had a very simple answer.
"I really like swimming," Young said. "It's just fun," she said with a smile.
Young hoped to do as well as she did in her last meet.
"I hope I do well," Young said, "as last time, I got first place in the 100 free relay."
As far as her future hold in the sport, Young feels she can go very far.
"I hope I go a long way," Young said.
When asked if she was interested in other sports, Young stuck with swimming as her favorite.
"I really like swimming," Young said. "It's really fun to me."
Young also liked the atmosphere that surrounded the meet itself and mentioned something that she enjoys doing while swimming.
"I like to do backflips into the water," Young said with a smile and laugh. "It's fun."
