Going swimmingly: the OHS swim team
By Paige Purifoy
Photo of the Owasso Swim Team provided by Ryland Nuckels
For a swimmer, there’s nothing more exciting than a meet. The feeling of lining up on the blocks, crouched in anticipation, waiting for the buzzer is a thrill that can’t be paralleled. Competitors that have trained for months, even years, cut through the water and race against time as well as each other. The athletes on the Owasso Swim Team strive for moments just like that, and right now they’re preparing for regionals in the thick of swim season.
The swim team is set apart from other sports in the aspect that they taper their workouts as regionals and state approach. Doing so, they do easier workouts and exert themselves less as the meets draw near, conserving their energy so they can go “all out” at the meets.
Although Owasso has had a swim team since the late 1980s, there is still no pool for them to practice in. Owasso is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state and OHS is 6A in the athletics conference. Despite the size and prestige of our town and athletics department, no location has been provided for them and the Claremore Recreation Center suffices. There’s a pool there that the team uses to practice every day of swim season, which starts in October and will end this February. During the season, the team has lifting Mondays and Wednesdays before school from 6:00 to 6:45 a.m. The extra time and effort they dedicate to practices is admirable, and their hard work will most definitely pay off at regionals.
“[The Claremore Recreation Center] is a 25 minute drive. We bus to Claremore, we swim for 2 hours—give or take—and then we leave and bus back,” Sophomore Ryland Nuckels stated.
This long commute is worth it for people who love the sport. Nuckels has been on the swim team since his freshman year and has been enjoying the sport since middle school. To him, the lengthy drive doesn’t compare to the excitement of a meet.
“The meets are awesome. It’s really loud, and when you get up on the block for your event, it kind of just all fades out and you just lock in,” Nuckels described. “And when I hit the water … I get a rush of energy and … it’s really exciting.”
When asked what he liked about being on the team, Nuckels said there’s nothing like doing something you love with your friends.
“The community on the swim team is really nice,” he smiled. “We’re all chilling together. … It’s a good environment and I've made quite a few friends.”
We have a dedicated group of swimmers on Owasso’s Swim team. Their love for the sport and companionship throughout the team has undoubtedly given them high spirits for regionals and allowed them to look past the tedious commutes toward the finish line. Let’s wish these resolute swimmers the best of luck!