The pain hits Lucy Smith once the race ends.
Her hand touches the wall. The adrenaline fades. Nearly a full minute of oxygen deprivation and maximum physical effort catch up to the Amherst Regional junior before her competitors.
“When you’re in it, it doesn’t feel like much and there’s so much adrenaline. Once I hit the wall and come up and breathe it really hurts. I can’t breathe for a while,” said Smith, the 2022 Daily Hampshire Gazette Girls Swimmer of the Year. “It feels good, kind of.”
It’s usually worth it. Smith won Division 2 state championships in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. She swept both sprints at the Central/West sectional meet as well and captured two sectional relay crowns and one at the state meet. Smith was never in the water for more than a minute in any of those races.
“That latter half of the minute, everything burns. You’re at 100 percent for what feels like a really long time in the water,” said Amherst coach Gyselle Hennessey, who swam on the same team as Smith when she was in eighth grade. “Her mind goes blank and she puts her head down, keeps going, then at the end everything rushes over her.”
Smith can endure those short bursts of exertion and pain because of the foundation she built in practices leading up to the championship meets and her measured mental approach to every race. She was the top seed in both sprint races at every big meet she entered.
The margins are so thin in sprinting, though. A wrong breath here or a lackadaisical stroke or kick there can open the door for the rest of the pool.
“She goes into the water with a clear head like, ‘I could lose this. What I’m gonna do is push my body with all my might,’ and that’s such a mental thing,” Hennessey said. “Sometimes kids seeded in that top seed get comfortable there. She never is. She’s really good at going into it humbly. That allows her to push herself beyond her limits.”
That much strain would grate and tear if applied constantly. Smith doesn’t compete year round for a club program like most top swimmers. She hasn’t since eighth grade. Instead, Smith dances or spends time with friends.
“It’s good for me to not do a lot because I was burning out a little bit,” she said. “Having a break from swimming and having time to do other things and spend time with people helps me enjoy swimming when I’m in season.”
Amherst had plenty to enjoy this year. The Hurricanes claimed their first team sectional title since 1999 and won the team state championship for the first time ever. They bonded on cold car rides to practice huddling together for warmth before entering the pool. A curated “crazy” playlist of Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and “a lot of Taylor Swift” soundtracked their trips to away meets.
“Bus drivers were probably annoyed,” Smith said.
Those bonds and the fact that she’s working toward a collective goal rather than just individual pursuits keep Smith engaged.
“A big part of it is the team aspect with the Hurricanes. It’s a three, four-month endeavor,” Hennessey said. “She has the support of her friends and there’s this atmosphere with the high school team that you don’t get with the rec team.”
It didn’t spring from nowhere this year. The seeds were planted when Smith and some of her teammates joined as seventh and eighth graders during a down period for Amherst swimming. Eventually, the Hurricanes placed third at Western Mass. during Smith’s freshmen year. They thought that was as high as they could dream to finish.
“It’s fulfilling to see all of that work and time and energy we’ve put in to this team finally paying off for us,” Smith said. “It’s been shocking and amazing to see how we’ve grown. It’s bittersweet at this point. Everyone I started swimming with and I’ve gone through is either graduated and in college or graduating this year. It’s kind of sad but it’s amazing to see how much we’ve done and how much we’ve grown.”
Smith still has one more year to stretch. She’s realizing what kind of doors her speed can open for her. This might just be the surface.
“She’s grown into herself and becoming more confident in her swimming and realizing she has this power to do well when she really puts her mind to it. That’s what I’ve seen most from her is her ability to appreciate herself, her own ability and her own talent,” said Hennessey, who likely won’t be able to return and coach next season. “I’m excited to keep an eye on her. She’s just astounded everyone, and I think she’ still going up.”
Sydney Abild, junior, Northampton
Rowan Albertson, eighth grade, Amherst
Sara Baxter, senior, Amherst
Aubrey Harrington, freshman, Belchertown
Adda Hennessey, senior, Amherst
Asha Kulp, junior, Northampton
Alannah Lavoie, junior, Belchertown
Allyson Linkenhoker, senior, Belchertown
Natalia Robak, junior, Easthampton
Lucy Smith, junior, Amherst
Deb Wells, junior, Amherst
Zoey Ames, sophomore, Northampton
Eva Bartosz, junior, South Hadley
Saenger Breen, senior, Northampton
Laura Brown, freshman, South Hadley
Miranda Brunette, junior, Holyoke
Finnley Chambers, eighth grade, Amherst
Inez Dole, freshman, Northampton
Aurora Donta-Venman, sophomore, Amherst
Fiona Tischler, senior, Northampton
Elyssa Wrona, senior, Belchertown
Sophie Ziomek, eighth grade, Amherst