Little do people know that Katie Lambert is going to be one of the first Freedom Swimmers in school history to qualify for the WPIAL competition. She has been swimming her entire High School career, but this is the first time she will be going to WPIALs. Coach Maria Sosko speaks very highly of Lambert. Because Lambert was a freshman when Sosko started coaching in the 2006-2007 season, they have developed a bond. She describes Lambert as determined, hard on herself, hard working, and extremely goal oriented. Lambert started swimming at a very young age and quickly became good at the sport. She became interested in swimming because her sister swam and she wanted to be just like her. Katie is a truly phenomenal swimmer and continues to get better. It seems that Lambert has inherited her family’s dormant swimming gene. To qualify for the WPIAL competition Lambert had to complete the 100 meter breast stoke in less than 1:16:00. Katie qualified with a time of 1:13:00. She is decreasing this time daily by training individually everyday after school. She is so good that other teams watch her because she swims that fast. Teammates are jealous of Lambert. Sophomore Debra Fanning joked, “She’s not that good. She’s a cheater. She wears flippers every times she races, and I swear she has gills.” In reality Lambert does not cheat. She doesn’t wear flippers when she swims and she is THAT good. And everyone swears Katie does not have gills.