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SportsJanuary 14, 2025

It’s never easy to be the head coach’s little sister. But for Brayden and Ava Walters of Jackson swimming, a tight relationship — and Ava’s stellar performances — is making things easier.

Kaiden Karper
Jackson girls' swimming senior Ava Walters and her older brother Brayden after the 2025 Rec Center Relays meet on Monday, Jan. 13, at Southeast Missouri State University. This season marks Brayden's first year as the head coach, leading his three-time all-state sister in her final season.
Jackson girls' swimming senior Ava Walters and her older brother Brayden after the 2025 Rec Center Relays meet on Monday, Jan. 13, at Southeast Missouri State University. This season marks Brayden's first year as the head coach, leading his three-time all-state sister in her final season.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Most Jackson girls swimmers will likely end up remembering the 2024-25 campaign as a fun and, potentially, successful journey when it’s all said and done.

But for the Walters family, they will forever remember it as a storybook ending.

This season, three-time all-state swimmer Ava Walters has a unique experience at Jackson High School — being coached by her older brother, Brayden.

A former Indian swimmer himself, Brayden was hired to lead the program back in May after being an assistant coach at Jackson High School two years prior. Now him and Ava are enjoying a memorable phase of their relationship, with “big bro leading little sis” — who happens to be one of the most decorated Jackson swimmers in recent memory — in her senior season.

Jackson swimming continued to make some noise at the Rec Center Relays on Monday evening at Southeast Missouri State University after placing second as a team behind Class 1 powerhouse Cape Central. In the 200-yard freestyle, Ava anchored the unit to a first-place finish with an official time of 1:50.97.

Jackson senior Ava Walters during the 3x100 yard backstroke at the Rec Center Relays on Monday, Jan. 13, at Southeast Missouri State University.
Jackson senior Ava Walters during the 3x100 yard backstroke at the Rec Center Relays on Monday, Jan. 13, at Southeast Missouri State University.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

“It’s been fun being able to coach her,” Brayden said. “At the beginning of the season, she was a little bit hesitant about it, but as we've moved on, I think we both really enjoy it.”

For Ava, this was not a scenario she ever pictured happening this soon.

“I'm really excited for him,“ she said. “It’s always been a dream for him for a long time to become a swim coach. I was really iffy about it at first and I was just like, ‘I don't know,’ but it's been so good because he just knows what's good for me since he's seen my swimming career growing up and he just knows every way to push me and make me my best.”

Even with a familiar face leading the team, Ava has picked up right where she left off a year ago through the first month of the season. The Little Rock commit recently took second place in the 100-yard backstroke at the COMO Relays in Columbia this past weekend — her highest place finish at the highly-touted swim meet in her career.

Of course, none of this comes as a surprise, either.

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Over the past three years at the varsity level, Ava has gradually emerged as one of the most elite swimmers in Southeast Missouri. Last season, she earned all-state honors in the 100-yard backstroke after breaking her own school record time by clocking in at 58.11 in the event. Along with earning her third-straight SEMO Conference title in the 100, Ava also added a 200 medley championship (14.69) to her resume.

“It’s just going to take a lot of good training and a good mindset,” she said of reaching new goals this season. “I can do anything if I set my mind and my goals to it.”

Ava Walters, second from right, poses for a photo with her Jackson teammates following a place finish at the Rec Center Relays on Monday, Jan. 13, at Southeast Missouri State University.
Ava Walters, second from right, poses for a photo with her Jackson teammates following a place finish at the Rec Center Relays on Monday, Jan. 13, at Southeast Missouri State University. Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Ava said it was Brayden who first got her involved in swimming, purely as a family tradition.

“My parents put him in swim when he was young, so it just continued with me,“ Ava said. “He’s always been a big inspiration to my swimming career and always wanted me to do better. He always inspired me and gave me pep talks before my races. It means a lot to me that he’s my coach now.”

In swim meets, practices and team meetings, Brayden always tries to treat his younger sister like the rest of the Jackson swimmers.

But on the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 21, after Ava officially signed her national letter of intent with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Brayden was stuck in the middle of being a coach and being a big brother in an emotional, intimate moment with her.

“That was awesome,” he said. “I mean, we're all so, so proud of her to be able to continue to swim at the D-I level. I had to kind of wear two shirts that day — I had the brother shirt, which was the Arkansas one, and then we did a coach fixture and I had my Jackson swim shirt on. So, I kind of had to play two roles that day. But I'm very proud of her and I'm very excited for her to be able to continue to swim everywhere.”

For Ava, the feeling is mutual, and she is always quick to give credit to her loved ones for their constant support throughout her decorated swimming career.

“It’s always been a dream for me to swim Division I,” Ava said. “My brother's just always been there for me with it all, and the same thing with my dad being the coach of Notre Dame. We’re just a really close family and they all supported me in that decision.”

And after several years of watching his younger sister make dozens of memories from a distance, Brayden now has the opportunity to lead her to even more success as she closes out her high school career.

“It’s just really special,” he said. “I think we've really both enjoyed it so far. I mean, it's not always easy, but for the most part, we've both had fun. And I think that she's had a good senior season up to this point.”

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