Dallas ISD's Carter High School girls' swim team celebrates historic victory

DALLAS - Dallas ISD is celebrating the David W. Carter High School girls' swim team.

The team recently won their District 6-4A swim championship. It’s a history-making title for the district.

Meet The Team

Chicorria Havis, Tonnie Nelson, DeAndria Cannings, ZaKarya Smith and Jannelle Lawrence are the young ladies making history with their most recent victory as the District 6-4A swim champions. It’s a first for Carter High’s swim team.

"It was exciting," said Cummings. "I feel like we made history. So it was exciting."

"I recruited everybody in school, and I said, ‘Join the swim team! Join the swim team! We got practice at seven in the morning,’" said Nelson.

The team practices at a location away from campus because Carter has no natatorium. The team says it’s a discipline that did them good.

"I would say definitely like a sisterhood, a bond because we were up early in the morning. We saw each other even when we were moody and cranky," said Lawrence.

Inspiring Victory

The team credits their coach, James Spencer, for the constant encouragement.

"I had to keep telling them, ‘It's only about five percent of the people in the school who can do what you do, and you got to keep going. You got to show them that you're out here for a reason. Because if 

"Every morning when we have practice, he'll text us, ‘Rise and grind’ with a slamming effect emoji to get us up and to get us hyped for the day," said Smith.

Coach Spencer told them he'd get in the pool if they won district. They did, and he did.

The team is cherishing their swimming success with lessons learned from Coach Spencer; lessons they'll take with them in the bigger pool called life.

"Something big that he always told me was that you know you can't just try. You have to do it," said Lawrence. "So I think that applies now to everything in my life."