At the recent Aggieland Invitational, high school swimmers from all over Texas gathered along the pool deck. Race after race, the Bowie High School Swim team cheered loudly and competed with intensity in hopes of earning a title.
The meet showcased the programs strength, school spirit, consistency, and hard work they’ve built throughout the season. With the girls finishing in second overall and the boys placing third, Bowie secured second out of twenty-four schools.
“I think the biggest factors that contributed to Bowie finishing 2nd out of 24 teams is obviously talent, but also the student athletes who come into practice early every morning, working very hard,” Assistant Coach Issac Nevarez. “They’re really encouraging, and help each other out. They coach one another and really lift each other up, especially if they perform in the way that they did.”
At the beginning of every swim season, members who have participated on the team for three to four years can apply for team captain. The decision is made based on leaders who take initiative and work hard to improve their times. For example, Junior and girl’s captain Logan Jones was appointed this year and placed in multiple events at Aggieland.
“I swam the 100 fly, 200 free relay, 100 back, and 400 free relay. I had solid swims for this time of the season! I placed 3rd in 100 fly, 4th in 200 free relay, 4th in 100 back, and 5th in 400 free relay,” Jones said. “Some of my events were in the last half of the meet, so it was pretty back-to-back. Overall, I am happy with how I swam.”
Several other athletes including senior Allie Dunn stood out during the meet. She finished sixth place overall in her event and credited the result to the team’s dynamic and staying calm under pressure.
“Our team dynamic is good, we have a Big/Little system where each upperclassman is paired with an underclassman and exchange gifts at meets,” Dunn said. “It was the first time I raced these events this season, so I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to do best times since I will be swimming these events many more times this season.”
As reported by the Bowie Swimming website the athletic program is intent on teaching student athletes the importance of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. This is showcased when Jones dedicated time throughout the meet to support her teammates with positivity and advice.
“I made sure to be on deck the whole time, talking with everyone, getting them excited before their races, offering advice when they needed it, and giving high fives after they finished,” Jones said. “Bringing good energy to other people’s races gets me excited for mine. I like to be there for my team so they know they can count on me, and when I talk to people, it lowers my nerves and lets me be calm and perform well.”
Every athlete, whether baseball player or swimmer, tend to face challenges. When balancing school, extracurriculars, and family, staying healthy is one of the biggest contributors to an athlete’s performance.
“It can be very hard to balance school and training, especially when I was going through the recruiting process for college and being recruited by the top academic schools in the country. It was stressful, but it worked out and I found the perfect school,” Dunn said. “It is important to prioritize sleep and being healthy so that you can be the best athlete and student possible.”
As the season continues, the athletes hope to beat new records and push each other towards new personal team goals.
“For the remainder of the season, our biggest goal is for both the girls and boys to do well at tesca and hopefully make it to the state finals,” Nevarez said. “I think we have a chance to be successful next weekend at regionals and advance to state if they continue to stay focused and push one another.”
