Friends’ Central’s Hope Lane is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The freshman swimmer won three events at the Friends’ Schools League Championships – the 100 free (in which she set both a school and pool record), 200 free (in which she set a pool Record), and 400 free relay (team set a pool record). She also was part of the 200 medley relay team that placed second at the FSL Championships. Then, at Easterns, she finished seventh in the 100 free, setting a school record and was the only freshman to make the A finals. Also at Easterns, she was 17th in the 50 free, helped the 200 medley relay team place 10th, and was part of the 200 free relay team that finished 12th (and set an FSL record).
Q: What was the key to your success in the 100 free at the FSL Championships?
A: Elizabeth Forsyth, a senior on our team, held the record. Before my race, she told me to go out and beat her record, which motivated me to break the record. It was also my first time swimming at FSL’s and wearing a tech suit, which gave me a lot more confidence.
Q: What is your most vivid memory of the Friends’ Schools League Championships?
A: My most vivid memory of FSL was when I finished my 200 free. My plan was to go 1:57, which at the time felt really hard to do. When I looked up at the board and saw that I had gone 1:56 I was filled with excitement and joy.
Q: What aspect of your swimming have you been working on the most recently?
A: Recently, I have been trying to focus on my dives along with my freestyle technique.
Q: Can you walk us through a typical day, or cycle, of training?
A: We have morning practice for FCA from 6:30 to 8 a.m. We do some distance, some sprints and a little of all the strokes, mostly free for a warm-up and easier sets. Then, I have school and from 3:30-5:30, we have high school practice. We normally do warm-up (about 3000 yards) then we do a preset which is normally a free set. After that, we do the main set which normally consists of all the strokes. We then do one more random set and a warm down.
Q: What is your favorite swimming venue, and why?
A: Franklin and Marshall College. I like the food but I don’t really appreciate the fact that it is a saltwater pool.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Friends’ Central?
A: I love math class; I am in advanced Geometry.
Q: Is there a career path that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: I would love to be an Olympic swimmer but realistically, a teacher or to own a bakery.
Fun facts – Hope Lane
Favorite book: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.
Favorite author: Raina Telgemeier.
Favorite TV show: Glee.
Favorite movie: Avengers Endgame.
Favorite athlete: Katie Ledecky.
Favorite team: USA Swimming.
Favorite place to visit: Tampa, Fla.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Pasta.
Person I most admire, and why: “Katie Ledecky; my coaches because they have taught me so much and keep pushing me to get better every day; and my parents because they are cheering me on constantly.”
Family members: parents Matt and Angela, sister Ruby.
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
To view a gallery of the Main Line Girls Athletes of the Week from 2013 to present click here
