> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Winnacunnet duo enjoys 1st year of competitive swimming thanks to friend’s invitation - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/winnacunnet-duo-enjoys-1st-year-of-competitive-swimming-thanks-to-friends-invitation/ - Published: 2026-02-16T16:33:20.000Z - Updated: 2026-02-16T16:33:20.000Z - Description: Staring at a full display of caps, goggles and swimsuits, Winnacunnet High School juniors McKinley Fowler and Fiona McAfee were lost in the aquatic section of their local Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Seabrook. - Author: George Scione - Tags: Winter Sports, diving, Division I, field hockey, girls lacrosse, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, swimming, Warriors, Winnacunnet, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 Staring at a full display of caps, goggles and swimsuits, Winnacunnet High School juniors McKinley Fowler and Fiona McAfee were lost in the aquatic section of their local Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Seabrook. So many options to choose from, and still unsure on how to even properly size things up for a correct fitting, the overwhelmed duo knew exactly who they should FaceTime for guidance. After all, it was sophomore field hockey teammate Mary Kouloheras who got them into this conundrum. Fowler and McAfee thought that Kouloheras’ initial invitation last fall to join her in the pool over the winter was a joke. The underclassman wasn’t joking; she wanted her friends to join her on the Warriors swim team. That invite was laughed off and pushed aside for the time being. Fourth-seeded Winnacunnet had just suffered a 2-1 semifinal loss to top-seeded Keene in the field hockey tournament, and the juniors were already focusing on the spring lacrosse season. “When she first said it, I really kind of just thought it was a joke,” said McAfee, who swam in the 50 freestyle this winter while also starting to dabble in the backstroke. “I never actually thought I would join the swim team. It’s just not something I would do. It was definitely out of my comfort zone. I mean I only swam in pools for fun, and only really knew how to doggy paddle. So I didn’t actually think I was going to act on it.” While Fowler and McAfee were laughing it off, Kouloheras was confident they’d be by her side in the pool for the winter season. A confidence neither of her teammates had, considering they had no competitive swimming experience. “I didn’t have competitive experience when I joined the swim team freshman year,” said Kouloheras, who competes in the 50 free, 100 free and backstroke. “I knew they were looking for a winter sport to join. So I just tried to convince them because it’s a fun sport and I knew they’d do well if they committed to it.” Despite her teammate’s nudging, Fowler still had reservations. To go from casual swimming at pool parties to a competitive atmosphere seemed a daunting challenge. “Me and Fiona were just like, ‘Yeah, we’re not doing that,'” laughed Fowler, who also swims the 50 free, but actually qualified for states in diving. “I was thinking of a lot of other options, but then I kind of caved into doing it.” When Kouloheras called the day of the swim team’s preseason meeting, Fowler and McAfee threw caution to the wind and made sure to attend. “We honestly forgot about it and didn’t talk about it for a while,” McAfee said. “Then one day, Mary was like, ‘Hey, guys, the preseason meeting is today.’ That’s when McKinley and I just looked at each other and were like are we actually going to do this? “We went to the meeting. The coaches were really nice and we still went back and forth a little bit, then said OK let’s do this. We agreed if we’re doing it, we’re doing it together. Neither of us can quit and we will finish the season. We shook hands to seal the deal.” Next thing the junior duo remembers is standing in that aisle at Dick’s, overwhelmed with a plethora of options and anxious they’d make the wrong decision. They leaned into their friend via FaceTime and their fears were quelled. “She got us into this,” Fowler joked, “so we FaceTimed her to point out exactly what we needed. “Then at that first practice we had no idea what we were doing and needed help from everyone. We had the whole team helping us figure out how to put the caps on and we all had a good laugh. It was so funny.” They’ve all come a long way from that invite to join the team and the hilarity of putting on a swim cap for the first time. From their first 50 free swims of this season to their last, the trio has all seen significant improvements in timing. Kouloheras started the season at 35.75 seconds and clocked in at 31.92 in her final swim meet. Fowler’s first time was 42.00 and ended at 32.66, while McAfee went from 48.05 to 40.61 over the winter season. “Sometimes when I compare myself to other girls on the team I feel like I’m not as good,” McAfee said. “But looking at when I started - and didn’t know how to do any of the events I was competing in - I can see how far I’ve come.” While McAfee and Kouloheras stuck exclusively to swimming, another pool event caught Fowler’s eye early on. The movements and flipping of the divers had Fowler thinking about her years of gymnastics training. The only problem was that Winnacunnet doesn’t have a diving coach. So Fowler joined Dive 603d club in Nashua for the coaching and has thrived in the event. “I had done gymnastics my whole life,” Fowler said. “Diving was kind of similar to me. Just watching it, it looked fun and I kept telling myself I think I can do that. It looked a lot more fun than swim, so I tried it and it was a lot more fun than swim for me.” Finding her favorite event made all the difference in her first competitive swim season. Fowler was one of three Winnacunnet girls to qualify for states last weekend at the University of New Hampshire. She participated in diving Friday night, while senior Elle Emery (50 free, 100 butterfly) and sophomore Makenna Babineau (50 free, 100 free) competed in the Swasey Pool on Saturday. On Friday night, Fowler scored a personal best 342.95 for a school record and third place in the girls Division I diving championships. “I’m really proud of them for taking on this challenge,” Kouloheras said. “They both did great, and then McKinley qualifying for states in diving was amazing. I knew she’d do great in diving because she’s a good gymnast. It’s hard to qualify for states, and I’m so proud of her for doing that.” The idea of trying something new is no longer a joke, and Winnacunnet swim coach Karen Pinsonnault enjoys getting to teach a life skill to a new crop of competitive swimmers every year. “We usually do have kids with limited swimming skills come out and it’s fun to watch them grow and improve over the course of the season,” Pinsonnault said. “For (McKinley and Fiona), as their confidence grew and they gained more endurance in the pool, we got to witness that growth and improvement.” It was just enough improvement and fun to lock Fowler and McAfee in for their senior season. “Not much of a joke now is it,” laughed Kouloheras. “I know we all have spring sports and then field hockey again in the fall, but I think we’re all looking forward to one more winter in the pool together.” For complete results from last weekend's swim meets, go [here for Division I](https://www.swimcloud.com/results/350498/?ref=nh-highschoolsports.com) and [here for Division II](https://www.swimcloud.com/results/350499/?ref=nh-highschoolsports.com).