Hard work, perseverance, motivation, and drive.

That’s what it took for the boys’ swim team at Renton High School to become the 2A academic champions during the winter season of 2017-2018. Getting the award was a very special honor and reflected the effort that the boys put into the swim season in addition to their school work. The cumulative GPAs of all the Varsity boys were combined to get the overall GPA for the team. Renton High ended up being the highest in all of the 2A boys’ swim teams, which left the team feeling excited and proud.

“It was recognition for all the swimmers who have put hard work into their studies,” Coach Diane Pavelin says.

She also mentions that “it shows they value their education, and they aren’t just satisfied with doing the bare minimum.”

Not only did the boys swim team gain this award in 2018, they also won it in 2016, in addition to the girls’ team who received it in 2015.

The swim team, although small, has been flourishing and has shown drive and growth. They have put in a lot of work and time into having a balanced schedule that incorporates both school and swim.

When asked how the coaches support their swimmers, Pavelin said “the best advice we could give them was to make sure they took time to relax and not get stressed out about everything.”

The boys swim team exhibits positive attitudes towards all the challenges that they come across and are able to push themselves through the hardest of times. Day in and day out, the boys show up and work hard during school and then go to practice and keep pushing themselves.

Swimmer Richard Tran said “We would have to take about 2 hours from our day and be left tired after practice, where we would have to then finish our school work.” 

They had to face a lot of challenges, but relentlessly worked hard, and it finally paid off. They not only became the academic champions, but they also realized their own potential in doing so.

The swim team is a great outlet for people to meet friends, get in shape, try something new, learn how to work hard, be competitive, and learn what it really means to be a teammate.

“What’s great to see is how well everyone on the team gets along, and pushes each other in practice…and also all the kidding around,” Coach Pavelin remarks.

As the season has come to a close and another year is over, Pavelin reflects on the team.

“I feel  fortunate and proud to have been their coach,” said Pavelin.