Dec 28, 2024
Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge’s Julia Eastman, a senior at Southeast Valley, competes in the Dodger pool during the regular season.
Passion has never been a problem for Julia Eastman.
Once the Southeast Valley senior and Fort Dodge swimmer found a purpose behind it, her career really took off.
Eastman’s podium performance at the girls state swim meet last month capped a decorated prep run in the pool. Eastman competed in 15 total events at state during her four years as a Dodger, and a sixth-place effort in the 100 backstroke at Marshalltown was a perfect finishing touch to her high school chapter as a student-athlete.
It also gave fans a glimpse of what could be to come when Eastman joins the swim team at the University of Northern Iowa.
“I think I’ve always known that swimming was something I wanted to do after high school,” said Eastman, who is heavily involved with the Southeast Valley music department as a member of concert band, jazz band and more. “I didn’t really take the sport super seriously, though, until my junior year, when I had time to really focus on the sport.
“I’ve always had such a deep love for swimming. I wanted to do it forever. It didn’t really hit me until the middle of my junior year that I could go somewhere and really take off.”
Eastman began to believe in her abilities as an upperclassman, and the results spoke for themselves. She narrowly missed establishing a new school record in the 100 backstroke this season, and etched her name in the FDSH history books with a 100 butterfly time that broke a 39-year-old program mark.
“I really learned to just be more confident in myself,” Eastman said. “I was always scared to compete against girls who were way faster than me. It wasn’t until I started really competing with them this year that I realized I deserved to be (going up against the best).
“I just needed to calm down and swim my own race, whether (the result and placing) turned out good or bad.”
Reaching the podium — reserved for the Top-6 spots in each event — was a long-standing goal for Eastman, who saved her best for last.
“State couldn’t have ended in a better way,” said Eastman, who plans on majoring in elementary education at UNI while also attaining her reading and math endorsements and earning a coaching certificate. “I just felt the weight of the last four years come off my shoulders.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be able to stand on that podium and wear my Fort Dodge jacket. To actually accomplish it is something that I still have a hard time wrapping my head around.”
In addition to FDSH head coach Ashley Beaumont, Eastman credited former Dodger all-stater Eileen Fierke, classmate Addison Daniel and ex-ACAC swim coach Joe Plane for helping steer her in the right direction as she blossomed into a star swimmer herself.
“Their impact and influence on me is the reason I’m in (this position) today,” Eastman said.
Eastman decided to be a Panther because of how “super close-knit” and “family oriented” the program felt during her visits.
“It’s more than me just being an athlete and the sport feeling like a chore,” Eastman said. “I wanted a program that would support me and that I could turn to (for help with) both school and swimming.
“The moment I stepped on campus and met with the UNI swim coaches, I knew that I could grow and excel. It will fulfill all of my needs for both swimming and academics.”
TIMEOUT WITH JULIA EASTMAN
Vacation destination: Hawaii.
People I would like to have dinner with: Nick Bosa and George Kittle.
It would surprise people that I: am really good at math.
My sports role model: Regan Smith.
My everyday role model: my mom.
I can’t go a day without: my phone.
Nickname: Julio.
Favorite road trip: going to Florida.
What are you listening to right now? The ‘Wicked’ soundtrack.
Favorites…
Team: San Francisco 49ers.
Athlete: Caitlin Clark.
Class: history.
Movie: The Mummy.
Binge watch: ‘Criminal Minds’ or ‘Bones.’
Book: ‘Better Than The Movies.’
Phone app: TikTok.
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