Two sisters are making one big splash in the world of swimming, but in two different pools and for two rival schools.
Sisters Khalani and Vianka Hoyer are both varsity swimmers this year but their paths to get there have been very different.

North Bend High School sophomore Vianka started swimming when she was six and has been doing it ever since.

Likewise, Khalani, an MHS senior, started swimming from a young age, but chose to stop doing so when basketball became more important to her before high school. Khalani came to crossroads at the end of last winter when she said basketball did not quite mean as much to her as it had before.

“At the end of basketball season last year I wasn’t feeling the love for it that I felt before and I happened to swim before,” Khalani said. “I figured I might as well give it a try. So I tried it out over the summer and I like the fact of being able to race and compete, so I stuck with it and it gave me a new opportunity.”

Khalani said she is unsure of her strengths in events but has recently been swimming long distance events.

On the other hand, Vianka swims in shorter events such as the 50 and 100 freestyle as well as the 200 medley relay and the 4 by 100 freestyle relay. Vianka also swims the butterfly which, according to Khalani, is a very difficult event.

“Butterfly is a strong point for her and I love watching it because it is a great thing to do and not many people can do it,” Khalani said. “I admire her ability to do it and do it so well.”

Although the sisters are on rival teams, they are still able to support each other.

“It was bad, but I cheered for my sister when she was racing one of my teammates, but it’s my sister and I want to support her,” Khalani said. “Yeah, they are my teammates, but I’m going home with my sister.”

However, who Vianka would cheer for is just slightly different.

“If she [Khalani] was in a race against one of my teammates, who I would cheer for would depend on the teammate,” Vianka said.

The sisters swim for different reasons but they said it plays a big part in both of their lives.

According to Khalani, she swims for the love of the competition as well as being able to spend time with her friends.

Marshfield coach Kathe McNutt has noticed Khalani’s love for swimming as well as her enjoyment for her teammates.

“She is very level-headed and has a good sense about her and I can tell she is very close to her teammates and cares. She is a great, outstanding person to have around,” McNutt said.

According to McNutt, Khalani dove right back into the sport and is not looking back.

“She made every Christmas practice we had. She is not easing back into it. She is all in,” McNutt said.

According to McNutt, it is very likely to see the sisters compete, but it is not in her control whether or not they do so.

“It is possible that they could swim against each other because we have a dual meet against North Bend, so it will be interesting. There is always that chance because it is not like I meet up with their coach and say, ‘Hey, let’s put them against each other,’ so it could happen definitely in a relay I think,” McNutt said.

Although Khalani is older, Vianka feels that she has the upper hand due to the difference in the amount of time the two of them have been swimming.

“I would probably beat her because I have been swimming a lot longer,” Vianka said.

Vianka plans on swimming collegiately and is unsure of where, but says that it is a lot of her motivation to swim.

“I used to just swim for fun, but I also do it for a scholarship now,” Vianka said.

Khalani agrees that her sister would have the upper hand if the two raced, but would not count herself out of the competition.

“We are both competitive and don’t like to lose, so if we raced each other and she wins, oh well. It’s my sister, she was supposed to beat me and I hope she would, but If I beat her I would be happy and it would be funny, other than I’d have to go home with her afterwards. Otherwise it would show that hard work pays off, but it will probably take me a while to catch up to her,” Khalani said.

Due to her recent enjoyment to both the sport and love of competition, Khalani hopes to compete at the college level and will most likely choose SOCC and while doing so hopes to surpass her sister at some point in her swimming career.

“One day I’ll come back and beat her,” Khalani said.