Daily Pilot Girls’ Athlete of the Week: Farrow is fast for Barons

“Easygoing” and “nice” are adjectives that first-year Fountain Valley High girls’ swim coach Kyle Naumann uses to describe sophomore Hannah Farrow.

“A lot of times I feel like some of those kids that are really fast, they kind of ostracize themselves,” Naumann said. “But she’s very humble about it.”

“Humble” is another good adjective that can be used to describe Farrow. The one adjective that doesn’t need to be said, because it’s understood, is “fast.”

Farrow is a key club swimmer for the Barons girls, who improved to 3-0 in the Sunset League after Tuesday’s 121-48 victory at Huntington Beach. Fountain Valley appears to be a legitimate contender for the league title, which would be the first since 1997, before any of the members of the team were even born.

Farrow, the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, does her part. She won the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly in the team’s first two league meets, then switched it up for a 200 IM and 100 backstroke victory against Huntington Beach.

Really, Farrow can help wherever the team needs her. She was seventh in the butterfly last year at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals, and won the consolation final in the IM.

Farrow kept the momentum going last summer at the Speedo Junior National Championships in Minnesota. Swimming for her club team, Irvine Novaquatics, she made the “C” final in the 100-meter butterfly. Farrow finished 21st in the country, in 1:02.24.

“I was one of the only girls that made it to finals, and it was my first Junior Nationals,” she said. “It was kind of unexpected. Even people I didn’t know on the team were cheering for me ... It was really intimidating. I’ve never been to a meet with such fast people and such high expectations. It was kind of nerve-wracking. That’s probably the most nervous I’ve ever gotten for a race.”

Farrow showed that she could hang, and as a freshman she already made her mark on the Barons’ record board. She is third in the Baron books in the 100 butterfly (55.67), and also third in the 200 IM (2:04.60). Farrow, Abbie Nelson, Shayla Erickson and Monet Favreau also set the school 200 medley relay record last season, touching in 1:47.18 at league finals.

All four swimmers are back for Fountain Valley this season, as well as Carly Perri, who missed last season with a rib injury. Senior captain Kennedy Hood is also a big contributor for the Barons, along with a strong freshman class featuring girls like Katelyn Dang, who swims club for Aquazot, as well as Bryn Kryger and Megan Le (Golden West).

In terms of butterfliers, Farrow’s club group at Novaquatics is a strong one, including Fountain Valley teammates Erickson and Carly Perri, as well as Marina’s Jacqueline Harris and Sage Matsushima.

“There’s a lot of friendly competition for the butterfliers in that group,” Farrow said. “We like to race each other and push each other ... It’s cool to be able to race people you know. It’s different than a stranger, because you know how fast they can go. It’s like a push.”

Farrow provides a push for the Barons. She’s been swimming ever since she was little. Her older sister Katelyn, who also swam for Fountain Valley, taught her the strokes at their grandparents’ house. Then, Hannah joined the Green Valley Dolphins summer team when she was 5.

She actually quit swimming for a time to focus on soccer, where she played in the midfield. But that quickly changed.

“When I’d come to my sister’s meets, I’d be like, ‘I want to race,’” Hannah Farrow said. “I ended up quitting soccer and I swam, and I started doing a lot better.”

Better describes how the Barons are doing this season. They are ranked No. 4 in Orange County by the Register. The other undefeated team in league so far, Los Alamitos, is one spot ahead of that at No. 3.

The Barons and Griffins will meet in the final league dual meet, on April 25 at the Barons’ pool. First, Fountain Valley plays host to Newport Harbor on Tuesday. They have a lot of momentum after starting league with a 104-66 win over rival Edison.

“It’s a good start to the year,” Farrow said. “Last year, we lost to Edison by one point, so winning by that much this year really brought some positivity in. I just hope that we can keep it up, because a lot of girls stepped up and went some best times at that meet. Hopefully we can just keep the ball rolling. I think we have a pretty good chance [to win league].”

“Confident.” It’s another good adjective to describe her.

Hannah Farrow

Born: Dec. 7, 2000

Hometown: Fountain Valley

Height: 5-foot-7

Sport: Swimming

Year: Sophomore

Coach: Kyle Naumann

Favorite food: Pasta

Favorite movie: “Dirty Dancing”

Favorite athletic moment: Making the finals at Junior Nationals last summer in the 100-meter butterfly.

Week in review: Farrow won the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly, helping Fountain Valley beat Marina, 102-68, in a Sunset League meet on March 28.