DLN WINTER ALL-AREA: Super soph Fulton brings two gold medals back to Downingtown East
Downingtown East sophomore Alexa Fulton, the Daily Local News 2021 Girls Swimmer of the Year, had a day to remember at the PIAA 3A state championship meet, capturing gold medals in the girls 50 free and girls 100 free.
She led both races from start to finish, and she was named Girls Swimmer of the Meet.
Fulton got off to a fast start that day in the 50 free, posting a time of 22.72.
“My most vivid memory of that day was right after I finished the 50 free,” said Fulton. “Before I swam, I remember being really nervous, more so than I’ve ever been for a race. I remember touching the wall, looking at the board, and being shocked by my time, I hadn’t been expecting to go that fast.
“The 50 is kind of a weird event because of how short it is. The race only lasts about 23 seconds, so it goes by pretty fast. When I dive in for the 50, my mind just goes on autopilot and I swim as fast as I possibly can. In swimming, your first race of the day is key. After doing well in the 50, I knew I was going to have a good 100.”
Her clocking of 49.69 in the 100 free was more than a second ahead of the second-place finisher,
“The best part of the race was getting to look over at my teammates and coaches on the pool deck cheering for me,” said Fulton.
Downingtown East swimming coach Gigi Graesser said, “Alexa is an excellent competitor, laser focused and very competitive. She is not only a very speedy sophomore, she excels also in other strokes and events. Right before a race she stays in her zone and is determined to do her best. She always shows great sportsmanship and talks to all her teammates on the East team and also to her friends on different high school teams.”
Fulton’s favorite memory of Districts this past winter, where she won gold medals in the girls 50 free and girls 100 free and was named Swimmer of the Meet, was helping the D-East 400 free relay team finish second and set a team record. She also enjoyed watching Conestoga win the event.
“Several of my Club teammates swim for Conestoga and we were told that whoever won the relay – Conestoga or North Penn – would win the overall meet,” said Fulton. “I just remember the energy on the pool deck being so high and I was so nervous for their race. My friend Audrey [Laganelli] swam the last leg, just out-touching North Penn’s anchor to win the meet. I remember being so excited I ran behind the blocks to their lane after they finished.”
Compared to her friends, Fulton got a relatively late start in competitive swimming, but she proved to be a quick learner.
“I didn’t start competitive swimming until much later than a lot of my friends,” said Fulton. “My first winter season, I was 9 years old, and nowhere near the level of competitiveness I am now. Starting out, I was never the fastest swimmer, but I didn’t care, I just loved spending time with my friends and getting the chance to be in the water. As I’ve gotten older, my mindset towards swimming has become more serious, but that initial love for the sport never went away.”
Fulton credits many of her coaches for her rapid improvement over the years, including D-East’s Graesser and Alli Stern.
“Coach Gigi and Coach Alli have been a huge help these past two years helping me navigate high school swimming and the unique challenges you don’t see in club swimming,” said Fulton. “They’ve helped to create a great team environment and are one of the reason’s high school swimming is so fun.
“I would also consider my club coach, Jamie Krull, to be one of the best coaches and biggest swimming mentors I’ve had. He is a great coach that makes swimming so much fun and he pushes me every day to be a better swimmer, even if it means racing off the blocks at the end of practice.”
Fulton’s winning times at States were faster than her first place times at Districts, where she posted times of 22.98 in the girls 50 free and 50.49 in the girls’ 100 free. She credits her time drops in States to Downingtown West coach Eric Snook, who was also her first swim coach as a youth at Whitford Country Club.
“After seeing me swim at Districts, he helped me work a lot on my breakouts off the start and turn, which made a huge difference in the 50 and 100 at States,” said Fulton.
Snook said, “I’ve been working with Alexa since she was about 8 years old. Quietly, she’s very intense and ultra-competitive but you would never know that by her outward demeanor. She has the awesome ability to take what coaches are explaining and translate it into the pool.
“In the time leading up to States, we talked about a few minor adjustments based on her District swims. She worked on it and was able to put those adjustments to use at the meet and it clearly paid off for her. She’s really a thinker when it comes to the sport so she has more room to continue to grow….which is really exciting to think about.”
As a freshman at the PIAA 3A state championship meet, Fulton had a couple of top four finishes, placing fourth in 100 free (51.29) and placed third in 50 free (23.16) at States. Both times were the fastest clockings in those events in the Ches-Mont League. But the state meet was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were sent home before the last night of finals,” said Fulton. “I had swum a best time in the 50 free the night before, and was disappointed when I didn’t get that same opportunity in the 100 free.”
Then, from the beginning of March to the first week of June, all pools across the state were closed.
“I had to start finding alternative ways to keep up my training like running, biking, and a lot of dryland workouts,” said Fulton. “I remember it being really difficult mentally, having to train out of the water and by myself without knowing if we would even end up having any meets. I just had to keep reminding myself what I was working towards, and it all ended up being worth it having the chance to finally swim that 100 free at the [2021] state meet.”
Due to the pandemic, Fulton and her swimming teammates still have to practice certain procedures while training.
“On a typical day of practice, we walk behind the wall with our masks on,” said Fulton. “We have to bring a plastic bag with us so that we can keep our masks on right up until we get in the water. Practices are still pretty standard, but we have to stay 5 feet apart even in the water, meaning one person starts at the wall, while the other starts at the flags.”
Fulton’s favorite swimming venue is the Greensboro Aquatics Center in Greenboro, N.C., where YMCA nationals are hosted every year. It holds some fond memories for her.
“The first time I swam in Greensboro, I was 12 and swam as a relay alternate,” said Fulton. “This was my first experience of higher level competition and I would say that meet was a pivotal one in my swimming career. I remember having so much fun with my teammates and coaches, I made it my goal to qualify individually that upcoming spring, and the only way to do that was to stay focused and work hard in practice.
“I ended up just qualifying for the meet. Having the opportunity to travel down to North Carolina again, knowing that I had earned my spot, was such a rewarding experience. A few years later, I was lucky enough to go to the meet again with one of my best friends. Swimming at such a big competition is fun, but getting to share that experience with her was even better.
“One of my favorite moments was sitting in the parking lot of the facility with my team as the sun set before the last night of the finals. With so much swimming going on, many of the best moments are the small ones I got to spend with my friends.”
Fun Facts >> Alexa Fulton
Favorite TV show: Steven Universe.
Favorite movie: Moana.
Favorite athlete: Missy Franklin.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Take on Me.
Favorite school subject: English.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Whole wheat bagel with almond butter and banana slices.
Family members: Parents Jen and Dan Fulton, younger brothers Evan and Andrew, and younger sister Elaina
