While the Prince-Mont Swim League has many swimmers who excel, not often do you see two sisters have the type of season that Russett's Paris and Taylor Hicks had this summer. Paris, 13, and Taylor, 16, combined to win an astounding 35 races, including the regular season, divisionals, and the All-Star meet.

"We have really enjoyed the season so far," Taylor said at the end of the regular season. "We might take it for granted swimming on the same team and in the same race (200-meter freestyle relay) because I know a lot of people would really want to do that."

Getting their start taking swimming lessons at Fairland Aquatics Center in Laurel, an 8-year-old Taylor took to the sport early while Paris, who started two years after Taylor, was hesitant as a young swimmer.

"I didn't want to do it at first," Paris said of swimming. "But my sister was doing it so I stuck with it."

"I think she's doing really great, from not even wanting to put her head in the water to what she is accomplishing now," Taylor said of her sister. "So I'm really proud of her."

The exhilaration of the 2011 season started early when Russett met their rivals, the Roger Carter Seals, in week 1. Roger Carter, which won Division D in 2010, was Russett's toughest test of the season.

After 48 events, the meet was tied at 268.5. It all came down to the final race, which happens to be Russett's best event — the girls' 200-meter freestyle relay.

"It's my favorite race," Paris said. "It's like a grand finale."

Teamed with Allison Ritter, 10, and Simone DeSouza, 11, Paris and Taylor swam the final two legs of the event, leading the relay team to a first-place finish and setting a new Russett team record in the process (2:09.68). Although they won the race, it took a while to realize they had also won the meet.

"We didn't know at the time that it came down to us," Taylor said, "We only won by three points so it was really exciting because it was our first meet and we usually don't beat them, so it was exciting for us and our relay team to win it for the team."

The victory sparked Russett to an undefeated regular season.

Through the first four weeks of the regular season, the sisters continued to plow over the competition by winning every race they competed in, including the relay. Even while competing in different races each week, the girls were a perfect 28 for 28 in events.

However, in week 5 that streak ended against Fort Washington, where Paris swam in the 50 butterfly and 100 IM.

"I swam against one of my best friends," Paris said of Fort Washington's Akeyla Holley. "She usually beats me so it was okay."

Although Paris lost to Holley in the same two races a week later at the divisionals, Taylor continued her undefeated streak, winning all three individual races and the free relay.

At the All Star meet on July 30, Taylor finished her season undefeated in individual races, winning the only event she competed in — the 15-18 50 butterfly.

Ritter, DeSouza and the Hicks sisters placed fifth in the free relay behind teams in higher divisions.

Between pool and team records, Taylor has 22 records in the books, including the pool and Russett team records in three age divisions for the 50 butterfly, 50 breaststroke and 100 IM.

Paris holds the only team record that Taylor doesn't currently own — the 11-12 girls 50 free. They also share the pool and team record in the 200 free relay with Ritter and DeSouza, setting both records this season.

"I didn't actually know that (I held all those records), but okay!" Taylor said with a laugh. "I am proud of my 50 fly records though. I do my best in that because that's my favorite event so I try harder in that I guess."

Taylor set the 50 butterfly record (30.02) last year as a 15-year old.

"Taylor's 50 fly record is one that will be very tough to match," Russett head coach Vanessa Cox said.

Paris, who did not know she holds a record of her own, was happy to hear the news but says she doesn't think about breaking records or trying to beat her sister's records.

"I just forget about that stuff when I'm out there and I swim hard to improve my times," she said. "I don't focus on beating anybody, I just focus on what I'm doing. I don't pay any attention to beating people, but if you do then do you."

Cox, who has been the Hicks' coach at Russett since Taylor started in 2004, raved about their success and how much they have grown over the years.

"One thing I know about Paris is that she has matured a lot more this season and she's really stepped up to the plate this year and fought through a lot of things and knowing her competition," Cox said. "She has been able to endure a lot of extra work toward earning her accomplishments

"Taylor has always been able to perform really well and whatever gets thrown out there she will step up to that and is going to help out the team in whatever is needed which is always a blessing to a team. I've never coached anybody like her, with all of her accomplishments."

While the sisters swim together for Russett in the summer, this winter they will compete against each other for the first time on the high school level, where Taylor says it is more competitive while Russett is more for fun.

Paris, a rising freshman at the Academy of the Holy Cross in Rockville, will not join Taylor, who is a rising junior at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, in high school.

"We've never gone to the same school," Taylor said. "I think we like to have our own identities."

As for swimming against each other on the high school level, their mother, Vanessa Hicks, said, "I won't be able to sway one way or the other. I'm going to have to sit on my hands and just watch. It's going to be hard."

Taylor has received interest from Vanderbilt and Randolph Macon to swim in college, but she has several other hobbies that she wants to pursue outside the swimming pool.

"(Swimming's) not my favorite thing to do," she said. "I like to draw… I want to be a robotics engineer. I want to make robots for people in need. Or maybe a forensic scientist."

As for Paris, who is only 13, she doesn't like to think that far into the future. "I still have time to decide that stuff," she said.