Morgan sister-duo compete together during a memorable varsity swim season

By Donya Hassanshahi

Sisters Finnlee Morgan, ’22 and Ayla Morgan, ’25 are members of the varsity swim team at Redwood High School. Finnlee has been a member of varsity all four years, while this is Ayla’s first year.

At the age of six, Finnlee began her swim career. She was a participant of the Visalia wreck swim team, and then later continuing swim through club from ages ten through twelve.

After club, Finnlee stopped in order to focus on water polo, a sport she had recently committed to at the time. When entering in her freshman year of high school, though, she decided to become a member of swim and has continued throughout all years of high school.

She typically partakes in distance events such as the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 200 IM, or the 100 freestyle during a meet.

Since their club swim was divided by age groups, Finnlee acknowledges how she and her younger sister never had the opportunity to compete against each other. Now that both girls are in high school, they are “racing against each other, which is super funny because we get competitive.”

Finnlee reflects on a previous meet that both Ayla and herself competed in together, “I think we did the 200 IM the other meet, but we usually swim different events, but I think we raced on that and I think she beat me.” She jokes, “[Ayla] did club longer than I did so I think it’s okay.”

With Ayla is one of the newest members of varsity swim, Finnlee finds enjoyment out of her sister’s presence, “It’s kind of funny because sometimes I forget that she’s there now because I’m used to seeing her at home. We even swim in the same lane together. Like yesterday, I pushed her in the pool and everyone’s like, ‘I forgot that you were sisters,’ and I was like ‘I can do stuff like that.'”

Finnlee also admires the little things with her younger sister, considering it is her senior year.

“We’ve raced against each other and I think it will be fun if we maybe get on a relay together by the end of this year. We definitely have more memories to make as the season goes.”

Finnlee Morgan, ’22 in regards to what she has admired most with her sister this season

As for their mom, Finnlee emphasizes the joy their mother gets from watching the girls swim together on the team, “I know my mom loves it. ‘Oh my gosh you guys are swimming together again,'” Finnlee says impersonating her mother.

The sisters’ mother was a swimmer at Mt. Whitney High School, which influenced the girls current involvement with the sport. “I’ve been swimming since probably before I could walk. So, we tried-out when we were six and we just kind of stayed ever since. I never really picked up any other sport, other than water polo. I loved it when I was a kid, so I kept going,” Finnlee adds.

Since this year will be Finnlee’s last year at Redwood, “I think it’s a good experience because [Ayla’s] going to start like I did, as a freshman on varsity. I guess I get to kind of make things easier for her.”

Similar to her older sister, Ayla was six when she started swimming. She admits both her sister and herself were involved in club swim, although Finnlee had quit before Ayla was a full participant of the sport. Although, both sisters were members of the Visalia’s swim city league team, the Buccaneers.

Ayla’s love and enjoyment for swim has been a passion of hers, though she expresses the person responsible for her involvement with the sport, “My mom swam in high school, so she put us in swim. I guess I’ve just always done it.”

During a swim competition, the 400 freestyle relay, 200 freestyle relay, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and medley relay are among the events Ayla participates in.

Although Finnlee and Ayla typically swim contrasting events, Ayla feels “seeing [Finnlee] at meets and seeing each other swim is cool and different,” in consideration of other swim seasons she has been implicated in.

Due to the difference in age, Ayla admits to never having the opportunity to swim alongside her older sister, “I think it’s fun; I like swimming with her. It’s cool that the chance we were both, I’m a freshman and [Finnlee’s] a senior, at the same school.”

To support these sisters swim in action, visit Redwood’s Frank Bell Community Pool at 4:00pm on Thursday March 31 as the Redwood JV and varsity teams compete against Hanford.

Tags: humans of redwood, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, redwood sports, rhs, sisters, swim, varsitygirlsswim, varsityswim, visalia ca