Swimming sisters face off for the first time at the eldest’s last FGCU home meet

Author: SYLVIE SPARKS
Published: Updated:
swimming
Sisters compete for the first time against one another in college. CREDIT: WINK News

A sibling rivalry is going down in the pool. Sisters Emma and Ellie Hixenbaugh, are both college swimmers but don’t compete on the same team.

And for one sister’s final meet on her home turf at Florida Gulf Coast University, they will face off against each other, with their family watching.

Emma, an FGCU senior swimmer, is preparing for her final home meet as an Eagle.

“You get so used to the environment and swimming in the same pool every day. So it’s going to be fun to have a nice, like ending me at our home pool just with family there,” said Emma.

But Emma’s going to have serious competition and a very familiar face just a few lanes over during the meet.

Ellie’s a sophomore at the University of North Florida, and the sisters thought what better way to send Emma off than by going head-to-head for the first time.

“I’m a little nervous just because she’s got a little bit of an age difference on me, but I’m really excited because I’ve never gotten to race against her, just me and her,” said Ellie.

The two don’t usually swim the same events, but they’ll face each other in the 100 I-M.

“Luckily the I-M is probably the fairest for both of us just because it’s not just my best stroke or her best stroke. It’s a little bit of everything, so that’ll be fun and kind of different for both of us to do,” said Emma.

Emma and Ellie are the youngest of four sisters, all of whom swam in college. Ellie told WINK News that Emma has been a constant encourager for her.

“She definitely has always been like something to set myself as a star, like set myself against her as like a standard just because I’ve always looked up to her in everything I do,” said Ellie.

And even when the Eagles are facing the Ospreys, Emma is a supportive big sister.

“It’s funny because it’s like, oh, I wanna win against the other team, but it’s always that I have to support Ellie sometimes over other teammates ’cause I’m like, that’s my little sister,” said Emma.

This time around, it’ll be Emma trying to get a win over Ellie, competing in her home pool for one last time.

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