DGN Swimmer Gabby Sims Excels Internationally

Gabby Sims missed a week of school in late September, but she had a really good excuse.

The swimming star was one of only three Illinois girls chosen for a National Club Swimming Association team that was sent to Osaka, Japan, to compete against top Japanese club teams. The other Illinois swimmers were Glenbard South Senior Connie Hsu and St. Charles North Freshman Meagan Popp.

It was an eye-opening experience for Sims, a sophomore who is regarded as one of the top swimmers in the state. While she has traveled to Europe four times and competed all over North America, this trip was the first time Sims has been to Asia and the first time she had traveled abroad without her parents.

“I’ve traveled as an unaccompanied minor once to California, but it’s the first time I’ve traveled alone,” Sims said. “But I wasn’t really actually alone because Meagan traveled with me to California and we met up with the team and then we all flew over [to Osaka]. I didn’t mind it, although the plane ride was extremely long. It was brutal.”

Sims and her American teammates didn’t get to do much sightseeing on the trip. Most of their time was spent competing against the Japanese, who were toward the end of their season and who treated the meet as one of the biggest of the year.

“Their team was a lot bigger than ours,” Sims said. “They were shaved and tapered. They won but it was on one of their big championship meets so they were really prepared for it, while a lot of people on our team were just in-season or getting back to the season.”

MAKING THE TEAM

Sims, 15, qualified for the trip as a result of her performances at the short course junior nationals in March and the summer long course nationals in August. In Japan, she swam the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly and the 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free relays. Her top individual finishes were fourth in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 butterfly, where she came close to her personal-best times, and she was on the 200 medley B relay squad that placed third, missing a medal by one spot.

“It was long course meters, which was a big change for me since I had just come back to yards and I had to go right back to meters,” Sims said. “I don’t consider myself a meter swimmer, but I get through.

“[With the relay] I was actually really disappointed because only the top two got medals and I was that close. I was so disappointed because the medals were so cool. They were big and crystal and they had real gold and silver in them. But the seniors on the team should be getting them and I was just happy to be there.”

Indeed, Sims was one of only three sophomores and Popp one of two freshmen on the team. Spending time with older, more accomplished swimmers was a thrill.

“It was awesome. It was such a great experience to meet those people and talk to those coaches and listen to what they had to say,” Sims said. “Misty Hyman, a former Olympian, was on the trip. She had a few speeches and it was great just to talk to her. It was just really cool to see how much talent there is in the U.S. and to be able to compete with those people was awesome.”

Sims paid a price for the experience as she was slowed by jet lag for a week upon her return, and it took the honor roll student almost three weeks to make up the school work she had missed. But Downers North coach Judy Busse said all of the Trojans benefitted from hearing about the trip.

“It was great when she came back and reported out to everybody,” Busse said. “She talked to the kids for well over an hour on what it was like, where they went, what they did, what they ate. And then the kids asked questions for a half-hour. So everybody learned from her experience, which is always pretty cool, if for nothing else than it might be cool to go to Japan sometime.”

FAMILY HISTORY

Sims and her twin sister, Maddy, are the youngest members of a family that has already produced three state champions.

Their father, Dave, won the 500-yard freestyle for Joliet Catholic in 1980 and later that year made the U.S. Olympic team. Gabby's older brother Burke was the state champion in the same event in 2009, becoming the first male swimmer in school history to win a state title. He was followed by sister Haley, who became North’s first double state champion when she captured the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly last year.

That performance was part of a tremendous showing in which the Trojans placed fourth, their highest finish ever, missing a state trophy by nine points.

Gabby and Maddy were major contributors, with Gabby finishing second in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke and Maddy taking 16th in the 500 free and 17th in the 200 I.M.

But the most memorable race was the 200 medley relay, in which all three Sims girls combined with Allison Soper to win the first relay title in school history, setting a state record of 1:44.30.

“It definitely boosted my confidence,” Sims said. “I didn’t know I was that fast last high school season. I still don’t see myself as an elite swimmer. Honestly, I feel like I’m not quite there yet, but I always try to see better in myself. I’m happy with how I’ve done but I’m always striving to do more.”

BACK TO SCHOOL

Despite the overseas trip and resulting jet lag, Sims has continued to thrive even without the presence of Haley, who like Burke is now swimming for Stanford, their father’s alma mater. Gabby Sims ranks among the state’s top 20 swimmers in three events, including third in the butterfly, while Maddy is ranked 10th in the 200 free.

Gabby and Maddy have teamed with freshmen Gabriel Serniute and Daria Wick to break frosh/soph school records in all three relays.

“The season has gone well,” Sims said. “I’m kind of looking forward to it being over. The training has been intense.”

The team took third place at its conference meet, with Sims taking first in the 100 free and 100 backstroke and Maddy taking first in the 200 meet and second in the 100 fly. 

The team's sectional meet is Nov. 12 at North. 

Swimming without Haley has been a big adjustment for Sims, who has been thrust into more of a leadership role because of her talent.

“We do have captains [senior Kenzie Niestrom and junior Claire Schoenberger] and they are the leaders and I never try to take away from that,” Sims said. “I think of myself more as the cheerleader. Whenever I see people on deck I always try to make them smile, make them pumped up, because I don’t want to overstep.

“I don’t really want to be a captain. Senior year I would love to, but I’m a sophomore and I’ll let the upperclassmen take the lead in that area.”

Busse said Sims has handled that role well.

“That’s a tough line to walk as the most talented swimmer on the team and yet you’re an underclassmen,” Busse said. “She went through a little bit of that last year when Haley was here but it’s a little easier to defer to big sister. This year there’s no question she’s the leader in the pool.”

The transition from follower to leader has been a smooth one, which Busse credits to Sims’ personality.

“I see a difference from last year to this year and I think [being a year older] is a part of it,” Busse said. “There’s something about shouldering, I don’t know if it’s responsibility but it might be a little bit of that, or just the maturity of realizing that you can do this, maybe a confirmation of the talent that she has more than anything else.

“Fortunately she’s very humble. There’s no swagger. You see that from people over the years, but that’s not where she’s coming from. Her work ethic has always been good. She’s stepping up her game.”

As for goals, Sims knows better than to guarantee a state title, though Busse said that will be the objective when the state meet is held Nov. 18-19 in Winnetka.

“I’m just looking to do the best I can, so whether that’s getting fifth or getting a state title or whatever it is, I’m trying to focus more on the times rather than getting caught up in what place I might get,” Sims said. “But I’m definitely setting high goals for myself and I’m excited to see what I can do this season. It will be fun.”