Toast of the Coast: Soapes provides added punch for talented Myrtle Beach swim team

Kandes Soapes just wanted to get back into the pool and compete.

Having transferred to Myrtle Beach High from a school in Jacksonville, Fla., the senior was forced to miss a couple early-season swim meets because of eligibility issues.

Once the paperwork was rectified, she jumped in and made quite a splash.

The Toast of the Coast Girls Swimmer of the Year swam to a state championship in 100-yard backstroke (57.09), finished fourth in the 50 freestyle (24.59) and was a member of the Seahawks’ state champion 200 freestyle relay team (1:40.45) at the Class AAA meet.

“She was new to the school and obviously a senior so we didn’t know a whole lot about her. We knew she was a strong swimmer, but because of eligibility issues we didn’t really get to see her swim a lot until the season got rolling,” first-year Myrtle Beach coach John Hairston said. “She was just a really natural swimmer and a very strong swimmer. It took a while into the season to see that come to fruition after the transfer stuff was confirmed. It really peaked at the right time. Because the season is so short, it happened so fast. Until we looked back to see what she really made of it, we didn’t realize how much she had accomplished. She got progressively stronger and better as she got a chance to swim.

“She was good at region and the rest is written down already.”

While the transfer issues were being settled, Soapes was able to practice with the team but not compete in meets.

“I think the most difficult part was wanting to get in the pool and swim and go to all the meets,” she said. “Not being able to do that was probably the most difficult part.”

Soapes provided the Seahawks with a nice 1-2 punch when added to a squad that already featured two-time defending Toast of the Coast Girls Swimmer of the Year Maggie Langdale.

While some would expect a rivalry to develop considering Soapes’ best event was the backstroke – in which Langdale was the reigning state champ – it was quite the opposite. Langdale was the newcomer’s biggest supporter despite being unseated as state champ and swimmer of the year.

“Maggie’s awesome. I’ve known her for almost a year now,” said Soapes, who had been a teammate of Langdale’s on the Coastal Aquatic Club prior to the high school season. “We went into the high school season both in our senior years wanting to really unite the team. Working with her in practice was a lot of fun. I love having her as a teammate and she really motivates people, including myself.”

Said Langdale: “It was great to have a new teammate and she was a lot of fun to have around on the pool deck with us this year.”

The two also were the key cogs in helping Myrtle Beach to a fifth-place team finish in AAA at states, which is believed to be the school’s best-ever finish. Langdale was also a member of the state champion 200 freestyle relay team.

“To have two high-level seniors like them was [big]. The two of them are split seconds apart from one another,” Hairston said. “[Having] two of them allowed us to win more relays and score more points and it guaranteed us points in relays and individual events. That maybe makes all the difference in the wins we got and it’s definitely a weapon for the team.”

Soapes and Langdale both are planning to embark on collegiate swimming careers. With that already likely in the cards heading into the season, the duo wanted to go out with a bang.

And Soapes’contribution to perhaps the Seahawk program’s best season proved invaluable.

“It was a great way to end our senior year,” Langdale said. “It was great to have a new girl on our team and such a strong swimmer. We were definitely glad to have her.”

This story was originally published December 22, 2014 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Toast of the Coast: Soapes provides added punch for talented Myrtle Beach swim team."