Bigfork swimmer wins state championship title

When Bigfork sophomore swimmer Sophi Logue looked up from the pool and saw her name at the top of the 100 butterfly leaderboard at the state meet in Great Falls earlier this month, she couldn’t believe it.

Sure, it was the school’s first-ever state title in the sport, but for Logue, her family, coaches and teammates, it was so much more than just a gold medal.

At a young age, Logue was diagnosed with Phenylketonuria, an inherited disorder that increases the levels of a substance called phenylalanine in the blood. A building block of proteins that is obtained through the diet, phenylalanine is found in all proteins and in some artificial sweeteners. Left untreated, PKU can lead to a buildup of phenylalanine in the body that can cause intellectual disability and other serious health problems.

It is a condition Logue had dealt with her entire life and she wasn’t going to let it keep her from chasing her dreams. With careful monitoring and a specialized diet, Logue is able to compete in the sport she loves.

“It all comes down to a willingness to push yourself. You have to be willing to do some things that you don’t really want to do,” she said. “That means working hard every single day, even when you don’t want to. You have to be willing and ready to step out of your comfort zone. You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

That willingness to work hard and overcome obstacles extends to the classroom with Logue, who struggled with school at a young age. Battling the complications of PKU, Logue found herself falling behind others her age, struggling to raise her reading level and process information presented to her as she was homeschooled through CORE Butte Charter in Chico, California. Then came swimming.

A fascination with mermaids led Logue to ask her mother to let her take up swimming when she was 10. According to her, she might have been able to become a mermaid, so taking up swimming was the next best thing.

Logue’s mother had her doubts, but after getting the go-ahead from her daughter’s nutritionist, she decided to let Sophi take to the water.

Logue was a natural, qualifying for the Jr. Olympics her first year in the pool, where she finished in the top eight.

The success also found its way into her schoolwork, where the structured routine of practice helped with her learning. Soon, Logue’s test scores were on the rise, as was her confidence.

That confidence was tested this year when her family made the move from California to Bigfork, where Logue would attend public school for the first time in her life.

“Not having friends was super hard for her. Sophi was becoming super depressed and she cried nearly everyday for the first couple months of school,” her mother Jen Johnsen said.

The relentless new schedule was taking its toll on Logue, but then came coach Charlotte “Charlie” Ball and the Bigfork Swim Team.

“Coach Ball has quietly developed the most outstanding culture on her team. The girls on the team have been so nice and quickly accepted Sophi into their swim tribe,” Johnsen said. “I really think joining the Bigfork High School swim team with coach Ball saved Sophi from the deep depression that was settling in.”

The bond between Logue and her teammates formed almost immediately, as she helped instruct her fellow swimmers, some of which had never swam before. All of the team’s hard work came to fruition at the state meet last weekend as Logue earned the school’s first swimming state title, while the team finished fourth overall.

“We are such a small team and we have a lot of people who are new to competitive swimming, and some who are new to swimming in general,” Logue said. “It’s amazing to see how far we were able to come in such a short amount of time.”

Logue’s win in the 100 butterfly was particularly sweet, considering her former coach just three years ago told her that her technique was terrible and she should drop the event.

“It really hurt in the moment, but it became motivation,” Logue said. “When someone tells you that you can’t do something, then you have to do it just to prove them wrong.”

Along with her state title in the 100 butterfly, Logue was especially proud of the team’s performance in the 400 freestyle relay where she and teammates Ashley Anderson, Hanna Ritchie and Allie Reichner dropped eight seconds from their preliminary time to take third in the finals.

“We all wanted to do well and the adrenaline just kicked in for us and helped us do the best we have ever done. We all pitched in. It was a team effort and we were able to get it done.”

The same lineup took fourth in the 200 medley relay while the school was also fifth in the 200 freestyle relay Logue was third in the 200 freestyle and teammate Ashley Anderson was sixth in the 50 freestyle.

This year marked the first time Bigfork’s swimmers had advanced to the finals in any event in the seven years since the program was formed.

“They all did so well this season. They were brave and conquered their fears, tried new things, accepted new people, made goals, worked hard, and together they achieved those goals,” Johnsen said about the Bigfork team. “They are all remarkable in their own right and have created a culture that is inclusive and safe.”

With two more years of high school swimming ahead of her, Logue is looking forward to the opportunity to earn a college swimming scholarship and has the goal of making the Olympic trials one day. ■