Swimming, basketball — she did it all
Some athletic programs are so inherently strong year in and year out that they seemingly never go through a “rebuilding” process.
Instead, these powerhouse teams perform like well-oiled machines and simply take their talented student athletes along for the ride. The Inglemoor High girls swim-and-dive team has been that program for the past four years, having come out victorious at the 4A state meet every year since 2004.
A large part of the Vikings’ success in the pool has been due to a strong core of swimmers led by Inglemoor senior Chrissy Baumgartner, who contributed to the relay team’s win in the 4 x 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:36.14, besting its qualifying time by more than 3 ½ seconds. With the girls’ win in the relay, the last event of the meet, the Vikings were able to sneak into a tie for first with Garfield and keep their four-year record of being unbeaten at state intact.
“I’ve been really lucky because in every sport I’ve played here, I’ve gotten to be with amazing athletes,” said Baumgartner. “This year, we lost (a 4A Kingco meet) for the first time ever in four years … the four of us had never really felt that before, but I think it also made us more motivated.”
The rest of the “core four” that Baumgartner refers to are state-qualifying seniors McKenzie Nakamura, Jayme Swalin and Megan Caylor, who have been swimming together on the same team with Baumgartner since the fifth grade.
“At first it was shock, like, ‘How did we do that?,’” said Baumgartner of the girls’ reaction when they realized their victory. “Then it hit us, that it was our last time (swimming together), so it was kind of sad, too … We have a special group dynamic, a lot of leadership on the team. It was a pretty crazy feeling, I can’t even describe it.”
A natural leader
One of the key roles of a team leader is to encourage fellow athletes when things aren’t going as well as planned. That happened early in the basketball season against Eastlake, when the Vikings found themselves stuck with a double-digit deficit at halftime.
According to Inglemoor basketball head coach John Augustavo, Baumgartner inspired the girls during the break, saying, “We are not going to lose this game.” The Vikings went on to outscore the Wolves 22-6 in the third quarter and eventually won the game, 70-61.
“(Baumgartner) is unselfish and truly cares about her teammates — her work ethic is second to none,” said Augustavo. “She made others want to play hard by her example. As a team leader, she made everyone feel as important as the next, and also made it fun for the coaches by helping us look good.”
Baumgartner was also one of the major catalysts behind a strong Viking girls basketball team that reached the state tournament for the first time in 11 years. Averaging 7.5 points per game and grabbing a team-leading 140 rebounds (5.8 per game) en route to 4A Kingco second-team all-league honors, the 6-foot forward believes the team’s success, much like swimming, depended on the familiarity the players had with each other, and the unselfishness they displayed on the court.
Four out of the starting five, according to Baumgartner, had been playing together since the fifth grade and were on the varsity squad since sophomore year.
“Our group was just awesome to play with, nobody really cared who scored when,” Baumgartner recalled. “Teams couldn’t guard us … depending on which teams we played, we had different people stand out. It was really cool because we did it together.
“We all know the coaches well and they have been telling us since sophomore year, ‘One of these years we’re gonna get there,’ and we finally did.”
As a senior, Baumgartner was also named captain of both the swim and basketball teams. She admitted that the leadership expected of her in that position taught her many valuable life lessons.
“It’s taught me how to work with others … how to encourage other people, and I think that also made me realize that it’s not really about what I do, as much as the team,” Baumgartner said. “I think it’s definitely shaped the person I am now.
Baumgartner’s winning smile and tenacious attitude, whether in the water or on the court, will be missed by Viking athletics. Inglemoor’s loss will end up being the gain of Linfield College, a small private school near Portland, where she will attend next year and play basketball.
Until then, all Baumgartner can do is reflect on a high-school athletic career filled with unforgettable memories of big wins and even bigger relationships with those that have meant the most to her.
“The bonds I have with those girls will last forever. I’ve made such good friends playing sports,” reflected Baumgartner. “Especially (on the basketball team), I know all those girls really well and they’re all my really good friends. I wouldn’t have been anything without the rest of them.”
