HOX Swim Updates

By Lisa Wirth

TheAugust Newsletter for the HOX swim team is a bittersweet one to write. I get to reach out to the parents of our graduating seniors to highlight those swimmers. It’s so wonderful to hear the stories from the parents of how far these seniors have come with their swimming careers. The part that is hard is that these kids are moving on to bigger things in their lives, and we won’t get to see them on deck swimming for the HOX next year. Please take a moment to read about all that these seniors have accomplished and the great things that are ahead of them. GO HOX!

Anna Brodigan joined the HOX swim team at age 6 and immediately fell in love with swimming. She swam every summer for the HOX and experienced all the ups and downs of the sport and the dedication it takes. Eventually her hard work paid off, and she won first place in backstroke at the VSA league meet when she was 12 and again the following year! After that Anna decided she wanted to try year-round swimming. She joined the Crow Canyon Sharks team and swam with them for 2 years. During Covid her family moved to Utah temporarily and Anna was able to swim on the high school team there. She qualified for the State meet where she swam on the medley relay and in backstroke. She graduated from high school in Utah in 2022 and just finished her freshman year at the University of Utah. She luckily has a good swim birthday and was able to come back to the HOX this summer for one last season. She is excited to be back on the team where it all started for her! Anna will return to the University of Utah in the fall and pursue her degree in journalism.

Jack Christensen, July 16, 2011 was Jack’s first graduation… from Mini Hox! He was grinning ear to ear, proudly wearing his medal and feeling so accomplished for making it across the pool. His parents were equally relieved that they didn’t have to jump in to save him! Fast forward twelve years and he’s now an almost college freshman, but still grinning ear to ear this season when he earned his first County cap! His parents are so proud of Jack’s commitment and perseverance. When he was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2018, swimming became a bit more challenging as long work outs meant there needed to be a watchful eye on blood sugar levels. Sean and the entire coaching staff were incredibly supportive and helped Jack confidently continue, through both the ups and downs of diabetes as well as the Covid lockdown times.

On May 21, 2023, while Hox were at time trials, Jack delivered the Salutatorian graduation address at De La Salle High School where he talked about inclusion and gratitude, which certainly sum up his experience both at school and at the Hox pool. He’s off to the University of Notre Dame this August as a Mechanical Engineering major. Hopefully he can find some time to swim…in a nice indoor and warm Indiana pool! His parents are so thankful for these many years as part of the Hox and appreciate not only the great lessons in the pool but the examples of leadership, teamwork and sportsmanship that have been such a positive driver in Jack’s life. Go Hox and now Go Irish!

Remy Hepner will be attending Indiana University in the Political Science department. After swimming for Round Hill and briefly at Del Amigo, Remy chose HOX because he appreciated Sean’s coaching and the fun of the HOX 15-18 group.

Kayla Johnson started with mini-HOX when she was 4 and was excited to join the HOX team the following year after watching her two older siblings swim from the pool deck. She started junior coaching in Middle School and really enjoys working with the younger swimmers. In addition, she has made lifelong friends on the team. She graduated from Monte Vista High School and will be attending Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania in the fall.

Mathew Morimoto will head to UC Santa Cruz this fall and is interested in psychology. He is an only child, and his parents are happy that he’s close by. Matthew was born in Tokyo and spent the first 12 years of his life there. He attended the British School from nursery until he left for California in 2017. The photo of young Mathew is an event with his British School team competing against the American School when he was 8 years old. Being able to swim with and help coach the Hox has been very social for him as well as his parents.

Aubrey Simpson has been competing in recreational swim since she was 5 years old (on the HOX since she was 7). She has been an individual VSA champion and a proud contributor to the HOX multiple league championships during her tenure on the team. Aubrey first qualified for the County championship meet when she was 8 and has qualified for the event in all 5 swim strokes each of the last 8 years with multiple top 5 finishes. At the 2021 Springbrook Pentathlon she set the all-time cumulative time record for her age group. She recently graduated from Monte Vista High School where she was captain of the swim team, active in MV leadership and the Senior class secretary. In the Fall she will be starting her college journey at the University of Washington, studying Political Science.