Historic Triumph: Entire DSHS Swim Team Makes State Finals for the First Time

Desert Sunrise High School’s swim team has achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the first in its history to have all its athletes qualify for the state finals.

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” noted Head Coach Kate Dove. The team’s success extends beyond the pool; they have also earned all academic honors for the first quarter, according to Dove.

Student-athletes Chloe and Ethan Armstrong, Isabella Owens, and Adrian Williams each achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

“This is a small but amazing team in every sense of the word,” Dove remarked. “This team just keeps making history.”

Junior Chloe Armstrong is set to compete in multiple events, including the 100 backstroke—where she holds a fifth-place ranking—and the 100 butterfly, ranked seventh. Notably, she also qualified for the 200 Individual Medley (IM) and is the first athlete at Desert Sunrise High to qualify for states as a freshman.

Sophomore Ethan Armstrong will compete in the 200 IM, 100 butterfly, 500 freestyle, and 100 breaststroke. He is ranked 13th in the 200 IM and 10th in the 500 freestyle, also joining both the boys’ 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams. Like his sister, Ethan qualified for the state finals as a freshman.

Fellow sophomore Kristopher Stubbert qualified for the 500 freestyle, where he ranks 32nd, in addition to the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. He aims to compete in the 200 freestyle, where he currently ranks 52nd, pending a possible entry.

Seniors Adrian Williams and Alejandro Porras-Graham qualified for the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The 200 freestyle relay team is ranked 27th, while the 400 freestyle team is positioned at 22nd, both qualifying for top three in their categories. This is Porras-Graham’s inaugural season in swimming.

Freshman Isabella Owens qualified for the 500 freestyle, currently ranked 34th, and the 100 backstroke, where she holds a rank of 25th.