By Sarah Brunskill
The boys’ swim team dove right in this year with an undefeated regular season and a second-place finish at the ECIC Championship Meet. It’s a feat accomplished not only with talent but with the support of brotherhood.
The team supports each other in their different races. In response to a survey I sent out, Nick Wong, one of the team’s five seniors, said that “screaming like a maniac” was one of his favorite things about this season.
“Screaming like a maniac” may be some or all of the boys’ reaction to having an undefeated season. Nick also added, “I am more than proud of my whole team. It is amazing to finish off my senior season.” Ben Keim included how he thought, “Everyone did a really good job and played their part. I’m proud of everyone in the team!”
The boys worked hard to reach these big accomplishments for themselves, the school, and each other. The values throughout the team seem to be similar throughout the team. They highlight the importance of everyone on the team, not just individuals.
As a team effort, the boys completed their season with a record of 11-0 during their regular meet season and finished their season with a record of 13-1, leaving next year’s swimmers with big swim caps to fill.
I asked the guys what they think next year’s team will look like and Braden Cowell said, “Hopefully very similar. I am coming to every meet I can make.” This shows how this “brotherhood” doesn’t leave once the season is over. Braden Cowell included how, “Swimming for Williamsville East has been one of the best things I have ever done. I have built friendships that will last a lifetime.” Ben Keim added how much he appreciated the team at the end of the survey, “I’d just like to say thank you to everyone on the team for being such great guys because this was my first year on my team and I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
So what should the men’s team do now that this year’s season is over? According to Keim, “Swim on!”
