For Audrina Pham, her freshman year saw her come onto the high school swimming scene with a great rookie year run. She followed that up by withstanding the pressure of falling into a sophomore slump and coming back even stronger for a revitalized Branford girls’ swimming and diving program.

The sophomore started swimming at the age of 5. She danced and found her way on frozen water with figure skating, though her main love was always the pool. While helping the Hornets finish ninth at the Class S State Championship earlier this month, Audrina made the elite eight in the 100 butterfly for the second year in a row, catching eighth overall with a time of 1:04.80. She also placed 12th in the 50 freestyle with a time of 26.79.

“This team has made me stick with swimming, and I have made a lot of friends through the sport,” says Audrina. “What has helped me is knowing the need to get better. There are some days I do not want to go to practice, but I know it helps me work on the little things I need to improve. I was really nervous going into states, but having the team with me helped. On the bus ride up, I did not think too much about it. When I got there, I just visualized my races. I actually did one of the relays first, and that helped me. Making the top heat for the 100 butterfly was one of my top goals, and I just went out there and had fun.”

Another element of Audrina’s psyche as a swimmer is her presence of mind to know that the lanes are not the end-all, be-all. She explains that when it comes to evaluating any shortcomings, do not magnify the minutia while moving forward when it is a day that is not hers.

“I just try to remember that swimming is not everything; it is just one thing,” says Audrina. “I tell myself to not focus so much on the little things I am doing wrong. I also tell myself that everyone has bad days, so I try to forget about them and regain myself the next day.”

Audrina has become a technician by fine-tuning the special maneuvers that shave off those precious seconds. She notes that one thing she wants to bring forth in the future is giving maximum effort on a more consistent basis.

“I think my technique has gotten better through drills and practices,” says Audrina. “The work has helped me get faster times. I need to improve on giving it my all with each and every practice.”

The Hornets have been on a steady rebuild since COVID, and Audrina feels that 2024 was a benchmark juncture in that construction of the club to a higher level. For herself, while being a focal point of the success, she aims for even higher personal accolades.

“I would like for our team to get bigger. We have a good sized team now,” says Audrina. “But I want our team to keep growing and moving forward. We want to continue getting the program back up. For myself, I would like to finish in the top 3 at states and make All-State.”

Branford girls’ swimming and diving Head Coach Sally Noel expresses only superlatives when speaking about Audrina’s character and ability. She is someone who never holds any athleticism back while doing anything she can to bolster both the collective team and its individuals.

“Audrina is a consistent and dedicated swimmer, always showing up to practice on time. She puts the effort in while setting a positive example to her teammates,” says Noel. “She is a versatile swimmer with the ability to swim various events, such as the individual medley, butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke, both sprint and distance--which is a coach's dream.  She is always willing to cheer on teammates and make light when someone is down. I think Audrina has a bright future in swimming. She competes all year-round and offers a level of experience in the water and on the deck; a true pleasure to coach!”

Going more in-depth when examining the source of Branford’s return to prominence this fall, Audrina attributes it to great guidance by Noel. She also explains that a wave of sisterhood had a ripple effect on the surge at states.

“I think what helped us this year was that the coaching was really strong, and Coach Sally really helped us,” says Audrina. “I think each of us on the team was close with one another. That closeness wants each of us to go to practice and try our hardest to win. We loved that winning feeling, and we want to keep having it.”