When Wayne Withington starts throwing around comparisons to Monica Surrena, that’s not to be taken lightly. The Springstead coach guided his former swimmer on both the club and prep level, culminating in her reaching the FHSAA Finals as a senior two years ago. This season, Withington has invoked Surrena’s name when describing the potential of freshman Dakotah-Rae Chanthachoumpha.
She’s already scratched the surface, earning a district title in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:26.36 while helping the Lady Eagles finish second in the Class 2A, District 7 Meet at The Long Center in Clearwater on Oct. 24. “She’s a year-round swimmer,” Withington said at districts. “She’s been swimming for quite some time. She swam for me at the year-round level, so I knew what to expect when I had her… For her to do what she did today was spectacular, as well. That was her best times all together. So to see her do that was very pleasing, and very helpful for her to drop some more time moving on.”
By virtue of that first-place showing, Chanthachoumpha qualified for the regional meet back at The Long Center this past Saturday. With a third-place time of 1:05.21 in the 100 butterfly she garnered an at-large berth in that race, and she swam in the 200-freestyle and 400-freestyle relays, as well. “I did good,” Chanthachoumpha said after districts. “I feel like I swam my hardest, and coach has been working on us to taper. And the team did good, as well. They supported me. And I’m not going to lie, I was really nervous. I went to go by myself. The team came to me and they were like, ‘You’re going to do good,’ and everything. So I feel like I did good with their support… It really is an honor as a freshman. But it’s not just me who won it. The whole team, my coaches, everyone who supported me through this won it. My family, everyone. It wasn’t just me.”
Chanthachoumpha has spent five years in competitive swimming with the PYP Piranhas, a club that stretches across five YMCA of the Suncoast branches. Withington currently serves as an assistant coach out of the Hernando branch. In fifth grade, Chanthachoumpha was at the local YMCA when she started watching the club team. She was eventually encouraged by her mother to try out.
“The first one, I was kind of on and off. I kind of liked it, kind of didn’t,” Chanthachoumpha said. “As I started moving forward and moving up in the lanes, I was like, ‘This is a good sport for me. This is where I want to be, how I want to be.’ The swimmers are so nice, they’re always there for you. They’re everything… I’ve always been with the Piranhas, for five years. I’m never leaving. That’s my family.”
Despite that experience, facing the unknowns of her first go-round in prep swimming has resulted in some apprehension, particularly heading into districts. “I kind of went to every senior and everyone who swam last year for districts, and kept asking them questions and asking them questions,” Chanthachoumpha said. “And then when I came here on the bus, my stomach was just turning and turning. Then I come here and it’s like a year-round swim meet… I just felt so nervous. I’m the person who doesn’t let people down. That’s me, and I felt like if I let them down, it wouldn’t just be me letting them down, I’d let down the whole team. So I felt like if I bring them up, then we’d finish as a team strong.”
Heading into regionals, Chanthachoumpha was seeded 10th in the IM and ninth in the fly as she pursued a trip to the state meet. Surrena is the only county girl to reach states over the previous seven seasons. “I’ve had this goal since the eighth grade to make states in my freshman year,” Chanthachoumpha said. “Come in first in everything, make states. Even if I came in second, I’d still go to states.”
She explained further, “For the 2-IM, I heard this girl, she has a 2:12. And I have a 2:26 right now. So I’m going to try to get a 2:20, 2:24. Get somewhere near that 2:12 to make states, and make it with everyone else. I’m going for that 2:12.”
Like she did last weekend, she had to find a way to overcome the nerves. “I’m going to do what I did for districts,” Chanthachoumpha said. “Ask questions and then I’m going come here, I’m going to scout out my competition, wish them good luck, like always. Wish everyone good luck, and just keep swimming… That’s me. Just keeping swimming, never stop, and if you go down and come in like third or fifth place, you come in as a champion. No one’s a champion unless you realize you’re a champion yourself and swim at your best. That’s a champion.”
At the regional meet, she landed exactly where she was seeded, taking 10th in the 200 IM (2:26.38) and ninth in the 100 fly (1:04.99). The 400-free relay placed third (4:15.69) and the 200-free relay took sixth (1:53.57).
However, her times fell short of earning her an at-large berth at states this Saturday in Stuart.
Long term, Chanthachoumpha has even more ambitious goals. She wants a scholarship from Ohio State, looking to go into the medical program.
Her mother is a former Buckeye, and she also pointed out that Michael Phelps tried out at Ohio State but was denied, then went to Michigan State. So her second choice: Michigan State. “I know it’s crazy for a freshman, but I want to be the next Michael Phelps,” Chanthachoumpha said. “I want to be the new Missy Franklin. The new Olympic swimmer, the gold medalist. That’s me. If I can’t do it, then at least I went down as a champion and I’ll know I swam hard.”