Published May 5th, 2026
By JUNE EMERSON
Carmel High School’s top girls’ swimmer, junior Annabeth Holz, wraps up league looking to claim another title and make a strong mark in the Central Coast Section after winning the 100-yard breaststroke and finishing second in the 100-yard backstroke last year.
“I enjoy the challenge of pushing myself to my physical limits and seeing my goals become real,” says Holz. “Although I don’t always enjoy it at the moment, when I look back I’m satisfied with my practice meet times.”
Annabeth Holz makes her mark qualifying for the 100-yard breaststroke and looking to claim another league title. Photo by GRIFFIN STEELY
Holz started swimming when she dove into a summer seasonal club at 6. A couple years later, she joined Falfin’s swim club where she lived in Colorado Springs and steadily rose through increasingly competitive teams.
“When I first started swimming, the social aspect of the sport was what I enjoyed the most,” the junior says. “I made really amazing friends, and it’s what kept me motivated to keep going.”
Her freshman year in Colorado, she swam the 200 breaststroke, 100 IM and two relays at state. That summer she also advanced to her club’s senior team and was dedicating 15-hour weeks in the pool, gearing up for a competitive fall season.
Then came an unexpected shift just before her freshman year: Holz moved to Carmel, taking an eight-month hiatus until the high school swim season.
“I never really lived life without swimming, so when I moved out here the very first thing that I looked into was Carmel’s swim team,” the swimmer says. “I wasn’t sure If I was ready to jump back in, but then I found out that one of my really good friends, Ava, was doing swim and that was enough to get me to try it out.”
Outside of the pool, Annabeth Holz participates in orchestra and Fellowship of Christian athletes. Courtesy of ANNABETH HOLZ
To her surprise, the return was seamless. She quickly regained her speed and rhythm, soon swimming her personal best in the 100 breaststroke. High school swimming brought a new dynamic as well, emphasizing sprint conditioning rather than endurance and the opportunity to compete across a wider range of races.
By the end of her sophomore year, Holz captured the league championship in the 100-yard breaststroke, finished second in 100-yard backstroke, and swam the butterfly leg on the 200 medley relay in CCS, earning her team MVP.
After spreading herself thin across multiple events last year, she has decided on a more focused path this season by honing in her strongest races, and as of May 1, the swimmer has qualified for the 1,000-yard breaststroke.
Holz makes her mark not just individually but is an inspiration for the team.
“She was voted team captain this season because of her unique ability to be both highly focused and light and fun during practices,” says Chelsea Peterson, CHS girls’ swim coach.
Out of the water, Annabeth Holz participates in orchestra and balances her competitive drive with joy, inspiring others.
