The Lakewood High School Swim team had an amazing season this 2024 year. Through the clubs’ fun times and hard dedication, they were able to bring light to their sport for all their supporters. How did they make it look so easy? Well, their all-trained members, or in training.
The athletes started recruiting new swimmers even before the start of the year, to try and get a head start on their numbers. This year they had a total of about 15 members, a slight decrease from last year’s 17 members.
Even with multiple cancelations on their practices due to Florida’s rainy weather in the summertime. Cancelations on their competitions with the two hurricanes Helene and Milton. The team was still able to push on and together winning most of their duo matches with other schools, plus beating their own personal records. A new Freshman to the swim club, Holden Bagley, recaps with “I had a great time with the team, they were very welcoming and encouraged me to keep swimming.” A two-year swim club member Jared Jackson reports 4 cases of beating his personal records, his record beating case being his 500-meter free, “The 500 is a very difficult event, but I’m glad I was able to build me endurance enough to beat my time.” This is Jared with his new time of 6 minutes and 59 seconds.
The biggest achievement this year include the team being to get one relay team to the regional competition that happened in November. The one team of four boys in the 400-meter relay; members Canyon Joseph, Logan Moore, Griffin Smotzer, and Even Dault were able to get a higher time than they ever have, beating their previous record at the district level competition.
The team had many members put on a fantastic performance with multiple members placing in the top 30 in the district, but just being shy of making it to the next level. Just like Jared Jackson who competed with his 200-meter free and placed 11th in the district.
The last event for the swim team happened on Wednesday, November 20th, the team’s annual banquet to celebrate all their earned achievements and fundraise for the next year. The annual event always includes a nice dinner provided for the athletes and heartfelt speeches and goodbyes to start a new journey into the next season. This year the banquet dinner hosted over 40 attendees, families and friends to support everyone’s hard work through a fun festivity and presence.
The swim team plans to continue their growth of members, by inducting more Sophomores who plan to join in the coming year. While they do have to say goodbye to all their senior members, new veterans step up to take their captain places with Junior Canyon Joseph and Sophomore Aroura Hunt plan to take on officer roles.
