Last week, the O’Neal pool was buzzing with excitement for the last home meet for seniors Aidan Blackwell, Lauren Hobbs, and John Shepherd.
When recognizing these fantastic seniors, their coach, Jen Schmitz, had many exemplary notes and memories about each swimmer’s contribution to the Falcon swim team.
When recognizing Blackwell, Schmitz stated, “Aidan made state qualifying times at his first meet back after a two-year hiatus. That says a lot about his work ethic and determination. I also remember him telling me his favorite part of swimming is cheering for his teammates.”
Hobbs, three-time state champion, named All-Conference and All-State for the last two years, was all smiles as Schmitz noted her quiet confidence as she has led the team this year as one of the captains. “Lauren is a leader by example, and although she is pretty quiet, she always has poignant things to say when she speaks.”
Shepherd has been an outstanding swimmer since he joined the varsity team in seventh grade. He has had three podium finishes at state meets and has been named All-Conference for six years. Since he started younger than most, he would be right by Schmitz’s side at meets, “ … asking me if I think he can swim fast and me psyching him up before races … Now he doesn’t even check in with me before he swims. Oh, how they grow so fast!”
These swimmers are not done yet; they will compete in the Tri-TAC Invitational, followed by participating in the state championships.
Photo by Wendy Hodges.
Contributed.
