Girls Swimming: Samantha James leads favored New Trier

The only thing bigger than New Trier swimmer Samantha James’ competitive drive is her team spirit.

That is a double dose of bad news for anyone trying to defeat James and her teammates at this weekend’s state finals in Winnetka. The Trevians are heavily favored to defend their state championship and they have the chance to do it in their own pool.

James, a highly recruited senior who is considering Virginia, Wisconsin and Duke, is one of the best all-around swimmers in the state. She is ranked in the top four in five of the eight individual events and 13th in another.

“Sam is so diverse,” New Trier junior Stephanie Marchuk said. “She can swim anything, so it’s really cool to have her on our team. Whatever the team needs, she’ll do.”

James won the 100-yard freestyle and was third in the 100 backstroke last season. She has the second-fastest sectional time in the 100 free. But she’s most proud of the fact that she anchored the Trevians’400 free relay squad to the last two state titles.

“I’d love to win an event again,” said James, who will swim on all three relays. “That would be really exciting, but I just love to be on the relays. The relays are so exciting for me. That’s where it’s really crucial for us.”

That team-first attitude is music to the ears of New Trier coach Bruce Woodbury, whose team is attempting to win its record 12th championship and first back-to-back crowns since 2000-01.

“What makes it good is it spreads throughout the whole team,” Woodbury said. “The kids realize it, too, so it helps everybody else on the whole team to have that kind of team attitude.”

Just as James pushes her teammates, the team pushes her. During the regular season, she often found her toughest competition, and recorded her best times, in practice.

“She is a great competitor,” Woodbury said. “She likes to race. Often she gets in the water in some of our dual meets and there’s no competition for her. It’s not that she holds back, it’s just that she doesn’t have a chance to race. She’s pushed in practice a lot.”

Even in a program that has produced a record 130 state medalists and 28 team trophies, James has made her mark. She owns only one school record — the freshman fly — but if she medals in all four of her events this weekend, she will graduate with 15 medals, one shy of the maximum amount that has been achieved by six swimmers in school history.

“The years have really flown by,” James said. “I feel like I was just a freshman yesterday. I just think it’s really exciting looking at the record board and everything and just seeing what we are. Everyone is so fast so they really push you in practice, so that helps you.”

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