For children in Cullman County and across the state, swimming is one of the top methods of recreation during the months out of school.

For the children who make up the Cullman Catfish swim team, it is a competitive sport that brings them a lot of enjoyment while trying to win meets and championships.

Leslie Donaldson is one of the veteran members of the team at 15 years old, and she has swam with the Catfish the past nine summers.

Donaldson said she got involved with the team when she heard about it at school.

“They announce tryouts for the team every year at all the elementary schools around here,” Donaldson said. “I wanted to try out, and I’ve been with the team ever since.”

Laura Evans, a 13-year-old, eight-year veteran of the Catfish, said she joined the team because of how much she enjoyed being in the water.

“I’ve always loved swimming, even when I was real young,” Evans said. “My mom brought me out to the pool all the time, and I ended up trying out for the team.”

Both swimmers have broken Catfish team records this summer. Donaldson has broken one and has come close to two, while Evans has broken two, one of which was her own.

Bryan Leiter is also 13 years old and has been swimming since he was 6.

He has broken three records this summer.

“I started because I had two older sisters on the team, and they made me try out,” Leiter said. “My mom also wanted me to try out for the team, and I did.”

Leiter said he enjoys the sport so much that he swims year-round with a team in Birmingham.

“I get about two weeks off during the year from swimming,” Leiter said. “Sometimes I start to get a little tired of it, but it doesn’t last long because I like swimming that much.”

Samuel Murphree has been a member of the Catfish for two years since he was 8 years old, and has two broken records this summer.

Murphree’s older siblings also got him into swimming.

“I enjoy it a lot,” Murphree said. “It helps me stay in shape for baseball and basketball seasons.”

Donaldson said there are a lot of health benefits to swimming competitively.

“You use a lot of muscles you might not use in other sports,” Donaldson said. “Then you’re trying to go as fast as you can, and that’s harder than running.”

Evans participates in a number of other sports including cheerleading, tennis, volleyball, basketball and dance, and said swimming helps out with all her other sports.

“I try to get in a little practice time all year if I have time to swim during the other sports,” Evans said. “It’s the best way to stay in the best shape.”

Kramer Bennett, 11, is a Catfish rookie this season who is proud of the improvements he has made in the short time he has been swimming competitively.

“My friends talked me into joining the team, and I’m glad they did,” Bennett said. “I’ve cut down on my times in my laps.

“I haven’t broken any records, but I’m getting close. I’m hoping I can break a record or two at the district championships or next year.”

Evans said she expects a lot of competition in her age group at the district championships, which begin Thursday at Albertville.

“A lot of the better swimmers in the 13- and 14-year-old division swim year-round and are very good,” Evans said. “I’ll just have to do my best and try to record my best times to get to state.”

That is what the entire Catfish will be doing to advance to the state championship.