Tyler Sharp, gets set on the block anticipating the beep, ready to explode off with as much force as possible. Sharp is coming to the end of his high school career feeling proud of the progress he’s made, but also sorrow being the last time he will be swimming with the same teammates. 

“I’ll miss high school. I like the team, it’s definitely my favorite season,” Sharp said. “I love all the boys. It’s definitely the part of high school I’ll miss the most.” 

Sharp said he was excited for what the future holds, hoping to be given the chance to swim during college. Sharp wanted to be noticed by coaches so he did something pretty special this fall.

“The biggest highlight this season would be breaking the 50 freestyle record (for the school), 21.4 (seconds) subject to change.” Sharp said. “To continue swimming I would like to join Olivet Nazarene University, but I haven’t fully committed yet.”

Sharp said he now wants to break his own records and has one more meet before conference comes. 

Matthew Sheridan, senior, is one of Sharp’s teammates, he has been swimming since third grade and in the years leading up to highschool. He found his passion during the Covid pandemic swimming at a local pool.

“I was playing a lot of different sports, and I found that I really liked being in the water,” Sheridan said. “Halfway through seventh grade [swimming] was one sport I could do during the pandemic. I’d say then was when I found my true passion for it.”

Sheridan said seeing your own improvements is rewarding and keeps him going trying to shave off as much time off his times. Sheridan explained the bittersweet closing of the high school swim. 

“It’s cool to see all the progress we’ve made as a team this year,” Sheridan said. “But I’m gonna miss it a lot, especially the guys.“

Sheridan wants to swim for a club team in college.

Simon Areneta, senior, never really swam until one trip his family took.

“I practiced with a coach in the Philippines, that’s how I got started,” Areneta said. “Before that I didn’t take swimming that seriously, [I was] messing around in practice.”

Areneta said finding coach Edmond in middle school started his long journey of swimming. Areneta said how the energy of his teammates helps him focus along with them.

“It was energetic, Everyone was yelling, cheering, I lost my voice,” Areneta said. “ At the end of the meet everyone is yelling for 10 minutes straight. I couldn’t get out if I wanted to with everyone jumping around.”

Arenta said he plans on staying focused for the conference, trying to drop as much time as he can. 

Jack Strobach, senior,  swimmer and diver, joined swim his junior year. 

“I was swimming junior summer at a local pool a lot and one of my friends suggested I join swim.” Strobach said. “The first two weeks were not what I expected. After that I built up my endurance and got better, [and] now I’m going to try to be as fast as possible.”

Strobach said joining the team during the middle of high school was rewarding. Stroback was surprised one practice when Coach Beasley asked him to try diving. 

“I didn’t think I was going to dive at all and coach threw out saying we needed another diver,” Strobach said. “I sure that sounds fun, my first practice I ended up doing a two and a half front flip making it legally.”