Swimming comes second nature to Sarah Stallman. And she remembers the moment that sealed that fate.

 

“I was probably around 10 years old, playing soccer, swimming and playing basketball. The seasons kind of overlapped and my mom told me I needed to pick a sport that I thought I’d be good at in the long run,” Stallman said.

 

The decision to focus on swimming was a good one, she said.

 

“Swimming was the only sport I hadn’t really gotten frustrated in,” she said. “I didn’t like everyone relying on me in soccer and basketball. Except for relays, swimming is more of an individual sport.”

 

Wednesday afternoon, the Bridgeport High School senior – two-time Swimmer of the Year and four-year All Big Ten and All-State athlete – sealed the deal to be part of the Fairmont State Fighting Falcon swim team.

 

Stallman has been swimming since age 8, year-round for the past several years. She said there was a point in this year’s season that she was leaning towards giving the sport up at the end of her high school career. But as the season progressed, she knew she needed to continue and was willing to take the plunge into collegiate swimming.

 

“Sarah came on strong at the end of the season and I’m glad she has decided to continue her swimming career at Fairmont State,” said BHS Coach Jan Grisso. “She contributed to our team all four years and she has a lot of potential.”

 

She first swam competitively for the Bridgeport Wildcatter summer swim team and shortly thereafter joined “FAST,” Fairmont Aquatic Swim Team, formerly coached by Pat Snively, now head coach at Fairmont State.

 

By age 10, Stallman knew freestyle was her strongest stroke. She had just qualified for a holiday meet with FAST. 

 

“It was my first year swimming through the whole winter and I qualified in the 50- and 100-freestyle events," she said. "I was really excited and I realized I wanted to keep working on freestyle."

 

During Stallman’s eighth grade year, she encountered some health problems that would follow her throughout her high school years.

 

“I kept getting sick. The previous summer, I had sinus surgery and I went in for my six-month checkup and the doctor said I had a nodule on my thyroid,” she said.

 

A biopsy showed pre-cancerous cells in her thyroid and Stallman thereafter had the left lobe of her thyroid removed. She was released for activity on the very first day of her freshman swim season at BHS. It was believed at that time that the right side of her thyroid would compensate for the left side.

 

“But my right side ended up not working, in general, so they put me on medicine, which has changed here and there,” Stallman said.

 

Because her immune system is weak, she often picks up viruses . And because her thyroid is not working properly, she is often tired and puts on weight easily.

 

“That was a big adjustment during my junior year,” she said. “I was working and eating the same, but it wasn’t metabolizing right.”

 

But Stallman persevered.

 

In addition to swimming for BHS and FAST, Stallman swam this past year for Parkersburg Sharks club swim team out of Salem University. There, she was coached by Rick Johnson, also coach of the Salem University swim team.

 

“Sarah has been like a second daughter to me for a long time. Even though she didn’t swim with us the whole time, we always had her right there in the wing,” Johnson said. “Getting to train with her for one year was a lot of fun for us. She is a pleasure to have around. Her smile is infectious. Pat (Snively) has inherited a very good young lady, good student and great teammate, all the things we college coaches look for.”

 

Stallman said she does believe being a good friend and encouraging one another is an important team aspect and is glad she has experienced that kind of atmosphere with her swim teams to date.

 

“We all hung out with each other and have been good friends,” she said. “Everyone understands that when we go through bad times, we need a little reassurance. We try not to put each other down, but rather bring each other up.”

 

Stallman plans to pursue a field of study that will lead to a medical career. 

 

The BHS swim team went undefeated for 2018-19. The boys were state champions and the girls were runner-up team. Read about the state meet and Stallman's finishes HERE.

 

Editor's Note: Stallman was supported at Wednesday's signing by her parents Karen Stallman and Jason Stallman, little brother Kai Stallman, BHS Swim Coaches Jan Grisso, Jack Merinar and Wendy Madden, Salem University/Parkersburg Sharks out of Salem Swim Coach Rick Johnson and several members of the Tribe swim team, all pictured above. 

 

NOTE: The Tribe's John Carter also signed with Fairmont State Wednesday afternoon. Read his story HERE.