Sports Leader

PROFICIENT IN POOL
Sisters Chloe and Madison Slaughter
took to the sport of swimming right
away as members of the Sioux
Center Seahawks. The duo has continued
to compete with a team from
Sioux City, qualifying to compete in
the state meet in November.
AT A GLANCE:
Names: Chloe and Madison Slaughter
Sport: Swimming
Ages: Chloe, 16; Madison, 15
From: Rock Valley
School: Western Christian High School in Hull
Swim teams: Sioux City Metro and Sioux Center Seahawks
Family: Parents, Ross and Dawn; sister, Kendra, 11.
often drives to practice.
“There are a lot of late nights,” Chloe said. “We
practice from 4-6 p.m. Then usually we’re home by
7:30-8 p.m.”
Practice and training almost never stop for Chloe
and Madison. Practice with Sioux City starts up in
August and goes through the end of October, which
overlaps with Sioux Center’s practice season. That
begins at the end of September and stops in March.
After a two-week break, the Sioux Center starts again
in April and goes through May. At that point they get
three weeks off and then start again in June, which
brings them right back to the beginning of Sioux
City practices in August.
“We’re constantly training,” Madison said. “Practices
get pretty hard during the year. We go five days
a week and some girls practice every single day in
the morning too.”
Training involves work both in and out of the
pool, including a lot of cardio.
Between training and school, there is not room
for much else. Yet, Chloe still gets in some hours of
work when she can. She works as an aide at Hegg
Memorial Health Center in Rock Valley. She usually
works every third weekend for two, eight-hour shifts
on Saturday and Sunday. She would like to pursue
something in the nursing field after high school.
In their first season together with the Metros, the
Slaughters found success in the pool.
Chloe was named “Swimmer of the Meet” at a
Sept. 26 competition in Council Bluffs.
“The coaches pick that,” Chloe said. “They kind
of pay attention to everyone that’s swimming at the
meet. They see that you’re cheering on your teammates
and doing well at your events. It felt good.”
In her second year with the team, Madison earned
a trip to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union
state meet in the 400-yard freestyle relay. She was selected
as an alternate for the 200-yard freestyle relay.
To qualify for state, she had to score a top-18 time at
regionals, which were held on Oct. 28 in Ankeny.
“It was pretty nerve-racking,” she said. “The week
before state, even before regionals I was really
stressed.”
Sioux City only brought five of its 39 team members
to state championships, which were held at the
Marshalltown YMCA on Nov. 4.
Sioux City Metro finished 22nd out of 24 teams
in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Madison swam second
for the team in the relay.
“It’s a big accomplishment to make it to state,”
she said. “I felt really good just being down there
for the experience. Granted, we didn’t do the best
that we felt like we could have done, but our coach
told us, ‘You made it and that’s what you should be
focused on and be happy about.’”
Now that this season’s accomplishments are in
the rear-view mirror, Chloe and Madison’s quest for
improvement is all ready beginning. Does making it
to state once alleviate any pressure?
“I think it might be doubled now,” Madison said.
According to Chloe and Madison, the team
should be poised for another good season next year.
Of the swimmers that made it to state, Sioux City
Metro will only lose one to graduation.
“There’s quite a few good incoming freshmen so
we should be able to find some people to replace
what we lost,” Chloe said.
Although swimming is not a common sport for
N’West Iowa high school students, the sisters said it
is worth stretching their time to do.
“It’s something different compared to what everyone
else will do around here,” Chloe said.
“I think it’s really fun,” Madison said. “If you want
to take it seriously I’d suggest taking it seriously
when you’re around 12 because you can really start
getting somewhere around then. I think it’s a great
sport to do.”
16 THE SPORTS LEADER | DECEMBER 2017