Bellevue boys swim dominates their season

Although Bellevue has historically been known for its excellent football program, the boys swim team has gone under the radar. As a result of a first place finish in the 200 meter medley relay, as well as ten additional top eight finishes in different events, Bellevue stood top of the top of the perch at the state competition, the first time since 2016.

This year, the defending champs are well on their way towards repeating their state title, with wins at all but one swim meet the entire year, highlighted by a dominant performance at the Kentridge Invitational.

It is not just stellar results that the team has produced, but also a strong community. Many of the upperclassmen have been swimming for Bellevue for multiple years. For them, they have become the new leaders of the team.

“The way the upperclassmen looked out for me made me also want to have a similar impact as I became the upperclassmen. As a captain, I try to make everyone feel welcome no matter their skill level,” remarked senior Daniel Choi.

This allowed Bellevue swive welcome newcomers, especially as a result of their success.

“The team opened my eyes to how good it genuinely feels to win,” said freshmen Edward Li.

Students who are new to Washington have also enjoyed their time on the swim team.

“The strong sense of community at Bellevue Swive has made me feel welcomed and supported throughout my time as a new student at BHS,” said Jensen Wu, a junior initially from Nevada.

It is as a result of this effective leadership that the swim team has engineered so much success.

Swim is also a unique sport in high school; while most other sports have their athletes primarily competing in just school events, swim features athletes with duties for private club teams and their school teams. Many students have unique strategies to balance work load.

“I can fit both high school practice and club practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing me to have adequate attendance in school and intense training with my club,” described William Wu, a junior who swims for BCST outside of school.

This requires athletes to often spend over four hours swimming on some days, requiring immense stamina, and time management.

All in all, the hardworking Bellevue swive team will look to defend their state title on February 20-21st.