Two swimmers make a splash at state

By Alivia Buchanam

Staff reporter

Shaving seconds off a race takes all year. That's the wisdom some members of the boys' swim team led with bringing them to state. They surged into state competition with both determination and hard work that brought them to qualify for state. After qualifying for the state meet, they’re showing everyone that hard work does take you places. 

Take, for example, senior Aidan Greenlee. At the end of February, he qualified for the WIAA state meet in the 100 Butterfly with a solid time of 53.1 seconds—good enough to make the cut off by being in the top 24 at sectionals. But when it was time to compete at State, he swam even faster, placing 16th with an impressive time of 52.47 seconds. 

“I was stoked,” he said. “I beat eight other swimmers and shaved off almost a second. It felt awesome to know all that lifting paid off.”

This year marks his first solo qualification for State, though it’s his second time qualifying overall. 

“I was an alternate my sophomore year, and last year, I was part of two relay teams that made it to State,” he explained. “But this year? It’s all me.” 

A lot of that improvement comes from his off-season dedication to lifting weights and working out,  which he believes helped him build the muscle needed to power through tough races. 

 Now that state is in the rear-view mirror, Greenlee is focused on college. So far, he hasn't signed to a college for swimming. Greenlee gave a clear answer. “No ma’am, I’ve talked to coaches, but I’m focusing on my future and my studies for college.”