POV: Badin Swimmers Trip to State

By Isabel Ely

Members of the Badin swimming team just recently made their way to state. Luke Paxton, Adam Sherman, Lance Wetta, Benjamin Brossart, Benjamin Hongell and Will Michael had the chance to compete with the best swimmers in the state.Seth Papania and Benjamin Seigle came prepared as alternates.

There are so many factors to balance when playing a sport. You have to schedule school, sports, homework and anything extra falls in between. When asking the swimmers that went to state their opinions were varied. Some of them felt organized and others said it was a lot to balance.

Not only did the swimmers have to worry about their schedule, but some of them had to take a closer look at their diet. Ben Hongell has a planned diet that is based on calories. He knows what food to eat to keep his calorie intake at the correct level. “I have different schedules for my diet but it consists of a lot of carbs, a lot of protein, and a lot of healthy fats.” All the swimmers like something different, but they all have one thing in common. They eat a lot. Lance Wetta says, “Most swimmers have certain foods they like to eat before swim meets, mine is beef jerky. At state the swimmers tried to eat everytime we could.”

Going to state is a goal for many and these swimmers were all excited to receive this chance. Freshmen, Luke Paxton, tells us how he felt when he found out he qualified for state. “It was as if I was standing on top of the world. It was such an exciting moment.” Not only was this a big deal for a freshmen, the seniors were just as proud and excited of their achievement. Ben Hongell says, “When I found out that I would get a chance to swim at state it was almost as though a heavy weight fell off of my shoulders. Knowing that all of the training paid off was one of the greatest feelings anybody could experience.

Although keeping up with swim may seem stressful at times, it paid off for these boys. Not only did they try their hardest to be good swimmers, but they also try to be good teammates. Senior, Seth Papania, lays down the fundamentals, “I work hard, set a goal, show up to practice, lift weights and I stay relaxed. Most of all I make sure the team is having fun.” At the end of the day swim isn’t just a hobby and sport to these guys, it’s apart of them. They strive to do their best, swim their fastest, and see who is brave enough to shave everything to cut down their time.