Pool Side Is The Best Side.

For the second year in a row, the Boys Swimming team at West only has two athletes participating. The pool is being shared with Northwest and South who are practicing at West after school, and the West team is practicing before school. The early start may be part of the reason that there is a low number of participants on the team.

Head swim coach Gary Curmode encourages anyone interested to come out for swimming, citing several benefits from participating in the sport.

“Swimming is a great sport; it gets you ready for anything in life. We encourage anyone to come out for boys swimming, or girls swimming. Your grades will be better. It’ll give you more discipline to get you in condition and this will lead you to get used to a Structured type of practice that goes along with school,” Curmode said in an email response to questions about the team.

Right now swimmers at practice are swimming almost a mile a day according to coach Curmode. By the end of the season, he says they will be doing 2 miles a day. Despite the team’s small size, Curmode speaks highly of the athletes participating in the sport.

“The two guys I have in swimming this year are outstanding individuals, straight-A students, and they give 100% effort in swim practice every day.  They have a great attitude and are very positive,” Curmode said.

The West High swim team has 2 returning lettermen Blake Perrin Jr. and Jordan Robertson Jr. Blake competes all around, but specializes in 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100 yard backstroke, and the 500-yard freestyle. Jordan is coming off a strong summer where he competed and medaled in a local league this summer he came away with multiple medals.

Blake Perrin Jr. and Jordan Robertson Jr. along side swim coach Gary Curmode.