The amount of enjoyment taken from a sport depends on the competitiveness and dedication of the participating member, and the JBHS swim team members are highlight examples of athletes who enjoy what they do and have a drive to be the best swimmers they can be. The King and Queen of Springs is a traditional annual competition between Bowie swim team members, kicking off swim season and crowning the fastest boy and girl swimmer to complete the race as king and queen. As of the recent 2017 – 2018 season race, Senior Jake Mickelson and Sophomore Caroline Meyers were awarded for their brisk completion of the strenuous course.

“The kids always have a lot of fun with it and they start out at Deep Eddy Pool and do about a three mile run and they end the run at Barton Springs Pool,” said Bowie swim coach of three years Chanel Dobrzenski. “They jump into Barton Springs Pool and swim down and back which is about two to three hundred yards I believe. The first boy finisher and the first girl finisher are crowned king and queen of the spring. We have breakfast at Barton Springs together before we head back to school, so it’s always really fun, just kind of a neat event.”

This event is not only a fun way to bring the team closer together after summer break, but also taps into each student’s competitive nature, leading them to physically train and prepare not only for the upcoming season, but for this event specifically. Dobrzenski described team member’s attitudes toward the King and Queen of Springs competition and the growing ambition to be the winner each year a swimmer competes.

“We do it before we have a swim meet but we also do it late enough to where we’ve had a few weeks of swim practice so they can kind of be in shape for it, but the kids know all summer that this event comes up so they’re practicing running and swimming and stuff like that because again they get really into it, swimmers are very competitive,” said Dobrzenski.

Congratulations again to Jake Mickelson, three year reigning King of Springs, and Caroline Meyers, first year Queen of Springs! Here’s to the dedicated and talented swim team of Bowie High School and wishing them a great season!