The swim team has finished their 2021-22 season; this time with a long standing record broken, leaders made, and a lot of fun and memories. 

According to junior swim team member Jack Secrest, he is satisfied with the performance of the team this far throughout the season. Secrest said the team is very cooperative, and they “try to build each other up, help each other and encourage others to do better.”

Four year swim team member Carolyne Bowling, senior, stated that they competed in the district tournament on Feb. 19 and they competed in the state tournament on Feb 24. 

 Bowling has just recently broken the long-standing school record for the fastest lap time by 1/2 of a second, a record that has stood firm ever since she was in 6th grade.

She said, “It felt very good, and I had been wanting to break it since middle school when I heard of it.”

Bowling added that all of the hard work she has put into beating the record has absolutely been worth it.  She also stated that the achievement of this record and being a senior have led to herself taking a leadership role in the team. 

 Bowling stated she enjoys swimming the 200 yard freestyle and the 100 yard butterfly. As for college, Bowling stated, “I will not be swimming on a team; instead, I will join a recreational swimming club.”

The swim team features competitive swimming meets where members compete to have the fastest time after swimming in a number of differently structured events that could have different styles, distances, and athletes who participate.

Secrest said the team succeeded in “pushing each other to their limits and helping each other to succeed.” Bowling added that while there were no major difficulties for the team itself, the pandemic did make events like team dinners and other team activities unfeasible. To work around this, they would have small hangouts with a few members of the team present at each one.

Secrest said since the team is close, it makes swimming an extraordinarily enjoyable sport. He enjoys helping out his friends and encouraging them to push themselves to do better, and swimming as fast as possible.

Secrest, however, stated that while the team does function as a unit, swimming is a very competitive sport that demands much physical coordination and exertion. 

Bowling said, “I enjoy the competitive aspect of swimming and competing against other people.”

If anyone would be interested in joining the swim team, Secrest said, “It is a fun time; the coaches are nice and the team works and wins as a team.” 

He also said that prior experience is encouraged but not required and the coaches are prepared to instruct new recruits. “The coaches are very good at teaching,” Secrest said.

Bowling said that even people who haven’t swam competitively before end up becoming good with practice.