The pool located on the roof of Shadow Ridge High School is a well kept secret and is only available to staff, but this doesn’t stop The Ridge from having a dominant swim team, whose season is soon to begin. Conner Custer, a senior at Shadow Ridge is one of the team members, says the swim team is, “The swim team is a great opportunity for anybody that is looking for a spring sport to try.”
As long as you can breathe and float you will be taken on to the boy’s team.
— Conner Custer
Custer has a long history with swimming, watching his three older brothers swim for Shadow Ridge when he was a kid, attending their meets and deciding to swim at the YMCA as a child for a few years but he stopped until his junior year, where he joined a club team and then eventually, joined Shadow’s swim team where he is one of the team’s captains.
Intramurals for swim have already begun but that shouldn’t discourage students, especially male students from trying out at the end of February. Additionally, the YMCA is holding a clinic for any student at any high school to practice and prepare for the upcoming season. Custer, along with anyone involved with the team have expressed their need for more male swimmers.
Custer has nothing bad to say about the men’s swim team. He says the team has a great team dynamic where everyone is cheering for their teammates, along with how much bonding the team does with things like team dinners. Custer also describes how swimming in general is a really great sport, especially to stay in shape but he also is open about the toughness of the sport, but urges male students to give it a shot.
Custer stated, “If you ever end up coming to our practices please know that the first two weeks will be a little tough as you adjust to the water but from there on after that you will love the sport. Don’t quit because you think it isn’t for you because I promise that’s not the case,” he also says to not give up because then students will miss out on what he thinks is the best part about swim, the meets.”
Despite not wanting to pursue swimming as a collegiate athlete, he expresses his wish to continue swimming after high school, saying he wants to continue to exercise by swimming. Custer is excited for the upcoming season and wants to make the most of his senior year, fired up to compete one last time before college, hopefully with a growing men’s team to cheer him on.
