Regal, remarkable, and ready to race

Paige Brinkey, Managing Editor

November 20, 2025

Catching her breath, Sam takes in her victorious moment as the first-place finisher in the 200-yard individual medley against Eisenhower High School on Sep. 4. (Anna Brown)

Last month she made Utica High School history; this month, she aims to do it again. Ella Sam is a junior on the Utica girls’ varsity swim team and has made her mark on the future of the program. On Oct. 4, during the Macomb County Girls’ Championship meet, Sam broke Lauren Himmel’s nine-year standing record in the 200-yard individual medley. The 2016 race that landed Himmel on the board was timed at 2:19.81; Sam surged past it, finishing in 2:16.30.

“Ella is a one-in-a-million swimmer,” coach Joe Michol said. “She puts in so much effort and her enthusiasm for this sport is just incredible.”

Due to chlorination error at the team’s home pool, Utica spent their first day of practice at Romeo Middle School on Aug. 12. Sophomore Mara Marian, junior Ella Sam, and senior Alayna Collins are excited to be reunited with their lane-mates. (Elizabeth Cusick)

During the county meet, Sam qualified for the 2025 MHSAA Girls Division 1 State Championship in the 200-yard individual medley. She swam at the Oakland University Aquatic Center in preliminaries on Nov. 20. Sam was the only Utica High School girl racing at this meet.

“I was both excited and nervous for states,” Sam said. “It’s a really big deal just to make it there, and you’re surrounded by so many good swimmers that you kind of have to race yourself.”

Solely representing the Chieftains, Sam was a lone competitor at the state meet last year too. She raced in the 500-yard freestyle after qualifying and placing second at the 2024 MAC White Championship meet. This year, at the same meet, Sam placed first in the event and beat the second-place finisher by over 27 seconds. She brought home two silver medals from the meet as well.

“I focused a lot on both dry land and in-water training this year,” Sam said. “I feel like the work I put in shows through in my performance throughout the season.”

The bell is ringing, and the counter shows red; Sam is headed straight for first-place against Eisenhower High School in the 500-yard freestyle. (Anna Brown)

In her three years of racing for Utica, Sam has been the team’s top point-scorer for two of them. Backed by nine years of hard work and dedication, it isn’t luck that got her to this point. Outside of the high school season, she swims for Utica Shelby Swim Club and has been loyal to the team since 2016. She plans to continue swimming after high school and is committed to competing at the collegiate level.

Sam’s season shows exactly what happens when talent meets commitment, and she’s not slowing down anytime soon. She has continued to show constant improvement throughout the years; Sam hopes that, as a senior, she will make her mark on Utica swimming even more extraordinary.

In Sam's time with Utica, the team has seen massive improvement. Read about the team's accomplishments with her as a competitor.

Suited and strong: MAC girls' swim county meet 2025

2024 Girls' Swim MAC White Championship

Girls Swim Advances in Divisions

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About the Contributors

Paige Brinkey, Managing Editor

Paige Brinkey is a junior at Utica High School, and this is her second year with Arrow newspaper. She is the team’s Managing Editor and is happy to help lead the staff into a new and exciting year for student publications. Additionally, Paige is a varsity swimmer for the Chieftains, mainly competing in the 100-yard butterfly. She is an avid stand-up comedy lover, amateur painter, and a proud cat owner. The Arrow is a primary contributor to Paige’s passion for journalism and has opened up so many new doors to her in the past year. She is still running at every new door, going full speed. She is a MIPA award winner in writing and an inducted member of Quill and Scroll. Going into another year of newspaper, Paige can’t wait to see what it will hold for her.

“I am very small, and I have no money, so you can imagine the kind of stress that I am under.” -John Mulaney

Anna Brown, Editor-in-Chief

Anna Brown is a senior, and this is her third year on the Arrow newspaper staff. She’s returning as this year’s Co-Editor-in-Chief with Kara Boice and is continuing the popular Photo of the Day series @uhsarrow. In her free time, she enjoys taking photos; you may see her out on the field as she captures most of Utica’s sports, events, clubs, and more. She also continues to deepen her understanding in the journalistic field by attending the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s Student Media Leadership Workshop in the spring, and the journalism camp over the summer. This summer, she won the Award of Excellence in the Level Up: Leadership for Student Media class for being “Next Level” with Kara Boice. She is an inducted member of the Quill and Scroll: the National Honor Society for High School Journalist. She can’t wait to see what this year holds!