In lane four, a freshman steels herself for the race only seconds away. She imagines every stroke, every kick, every wall. But as the horn blows, her mind goes silent.

“When you dive in the water, that’s when all the anxiety goes away, and you just focus on the race,” freshman varsity swimmer Cadence Johnson said.

On Saturday, Feb. 10, Johnson raced in the 6A Region 4 meet finals, with the hopes to make it to the state meet. Ultimately, she won the 100 butterfly, securing her spot for state. Despite not winning the 200 individual medley (I.M.)., she was called back, meaning she’ll do both events at state on Feb. 23 in Austin.

The day before in prelims, she overtook the first seed of the 100 butterfly, beating her Woodlands High School opponent, Lily Wiles, by one-tenth of a second.

Despite this success, Johnson said she “was not feeling too good in prelims” and was “tired and sluggish.”

This was more apparent in her 200 I.M., where she dropped from second to fourth seed in prelims.

“I didn’t have as much motivation or confidence for the 200 I.M.,” Johnson said. “I’m not as prepared for it as I am for the 100 butterfly.”

Johnson quickly recovered for the finals on the next day, where she would be racing for the chance to advance to the state meet.

“Going into finals, I had a very focused mindset,” Johnson said. “But I was so nervous because I originally went into the meet without the fastest time.”

“I felt like I needed to get first in the 100 butterfly because I knew I could beat Lily Wiles,” Johnson said. “But for the 200 I.M., I definitely wanted to make it to state but it wasn’t really my main goal.”

What made the 100 butterfly so unique was that the top four seats were all held by freshmen, something not found in any other event of the meet.

“It was a battle because everyone knows we’re all freshmen,” Johnson said. “It’s frustrating because I’ll have to race these people for the next four years.”

As a freshman, Johnson has been struggling with transitioning into high school while balancing swimming.

“Middle school tries to prepare you, but it doesn’t at all,” Johnson said. “High school is a whole different thing. The swimming and academics are just at a whole new level. I’m trying to be well-rounded; I know I can’t be the smartest person while also being a good swimmer.”

Swim coach Gary Johnson has had experience with Cadence Johnson and her speed from when he coached her at Pin Oak Middle School.

“I hadn’t seen her for a year, but I knew she was still practicing,” Gary Johnson said. “When she was in seventh grade, she broke some of the eighth grade records, so I knew she’d be coming in as a good swimmer.”

In addition, she also manages year-round club swimming, which she’s been doing for about nine years. This juggling act of a schedule forces her to “go to practice almost every day, sometimes twice a day.”

However even though she’s part of a club team, she practices the most with her father.

“He’s put in so much work; watching YouTube, reading articles, just trying to learn how to help me,” Cadence said. “Without him, I wouldn’t be the swimmer I am today.”

Her mom, while not providing the same physical training as her dad does, provides emotional support. While she doesn’t go to a lot of meets because she takes care of Cadence’s siblings and watches their events, she still has helped keep Cadence “in the right mindset.”

Gary Johnson understands the struggle club swimmers face with multiple time and energy commitments.

“I expect my club swimmers to prioritize their club meets,” Gary Johnson said. “But her club coach knows she’s going to state, so there’s a silent cooperation between us and how we’re preparing her.”

Rather than joining high school swimming for practice or for glory, Cadence Johnson joined because she “wanted something different than club swimming.” To her, school swimming is “more fun and the team is more involved” compared to club swimming, which is “more focused and serious about swimming.”

Annabel Qiu, a fellow freshman swimmer, attests to Cadence Johnson’s attempts to bring a stronger sense of community to the team.

“It’s always great being around her and her positive energy,” Qiu said. “She really just sets a positive vibe for the team.”

Especially during practices, Cadence Johnson has fully embraced the team dynamic. Rather than using her speed to put her above others, she uses it to lift others around her.

“Cadence has never been expected to be treated differently because she’s fast,” Gary Johnson said. “She helps lead the lane; she’s certainly a team leader in first period.”

Even if she sees high school swimming as more about the team experience, Cadence Johnson still approaches the meets as seriously as ever.

“I felt so nervous for regionals because I wanted to make state,” Cadence Johnson said. “I started getting nervous weeks before the meet even happened.”

She hopes to go into state with a more relaxed state of mind.

“When it came to regionals, I went in wanting to win so I could make it to the next stage. But for state, if I get dead last, then it doesn’t matter,” Cadence Johnson said. “So if I don’t do my best, will I be frustrated? Yes, but I understand why.”

Even though Cadence Johnson knows she will compete at the state meet against older and faster girls, she simply wants to make the best of it.

“I know I’m just a freshman, so I can’t have too high of expectations,” Cadence Johnson said. “At state, I just want to have fun.”