Final Lap for the Fab Four

They came from different swimming backgrounds, but four years ago they all came together as incoming freshmen at King Philip Regional High School and met at the pool. The four freshmen (Sammy Nasson, Sammy DeWitt, Fahra Wichard and Callie Sullivan) tried out for the KP swim team and each made a name for themselves in their individual events, but the real splash came when the four took to the pool as a single unit participating in the 200 Medley Relay.
Nasson, the only one of the four who will go on to swim on the collegiate level, swims the butterfly in the relay with DeWitt swimming freestyle, Wichard the breast stroke, and Sullivan the backstroke. While they are contenders in both the 200 and 400 relays, the quartet holds the King Philip school record for the 200 freestyle.
“They are the definite quintessential swimmers on the team,” Coach Jack Pettine said. “Callie and Fahra are specialty swimmers, while Sammy DeWitt can swim any freestyle event and Sammy Nasson can basically swim any individual event.”
Pettine was not the coach when the four took to the water for the first time four years ago; he is entering his second year at the helm of the Warriors swim program.
“It all comes down to the strategy of who can perform what stroke the best,” the KP coach said regarding who swims what event during the relays. “During dual and big meets you don’t want to spread yourself thin by putting all your eggs in one basket. We have six other club swimmers who are strong in a specific event that can help us in relays.”
The foursome has already qualified to take part in the Sectionals. Sullivan will take part in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle; DeWitt will be in the 200 free-style; Nasson will swim the 200 IM and 100 butterfly; and Wichard will take part in the 200 IM and 100 breast stroke. As a group the girls will also take part in the 200 Medley Relay. Sullivan, DeWitt and Nasson will swim with Megan Campbell in the 400 Medley Relay.
Wichard does not swim in the 400 Relay, but she is the only one of the four King Philip swimmers to hold an individual school record in the breast stroke, an event according to the coach that is tough to come by.
The dominance of these swimmers and the KP program over these four years has been impressive. Out of over 40 dual meets in that time, they have suffered only two defeats. They capped off their careers this past season by copping their third Hockomock League Division 1 Championship.
In addition to swimming for King Philip on the high school level, the group has taken part in the open water swim Relay for Life. Swimming under the King Philip banner, the foursome is raising money for cancer research.
With only the Sectionals and States left to swim at Local Town Pages press time, the four seniors are hoping to go out and put forth their best effort in the pool for the last time as Warrior swimmers.