On a hot summer day, you can find me down at Madison Beach. Besides it being a hotspot for the honeys, and the occasional hot lifeguard with whom I can try out a couple new “I’m so wet” puns, it provides me with an ideal place to perfect my rather unorthodox aquatic maneuvers. Whether it’s almost drowning on my way out to the dock (which they inconveniently moved farther from shore, which I think was a lame attempt to scare me off), or gracing the high dive with my high and arching dives or my new and inventive flying squirrel dive, I would consider myself pretty deft in the water.

So it turns out that I’m not exactly as dexterous in the water as that one porpoise that I got in a fight with at Sea World, but the boys on the Bulldog swim team straight put me to shame. See I thought that the guys that I saw during both my freshmen and sophomore years walking out into the winter sports assemblies with their towels were nothing but a bunch of suckas. I mean watching these little white boys dance around in their speedos like Carver Low and Sawin at last year’s talent show, it’s hard not to think that these thirty or so boys are just there to loaf around mostly naked. However, after attending one boys swim practice, I was in for a reality check.

Not only did these guys mean business, but they were willing to put in the time, effort and commitment that most coaches can only hope to coax out of their own teenage athletes.

“We work hard in the pool and out,” said senior captain Jeff Yeabsley. “We know that’s the ultimate key to victory.”

The level of intensity is maintained Monday through Friday as the boys make the commute from Wallingford back down to the Central District where their grueling practices take place within the storied halls of Medgar Evers pool. Practice starts at exactly 3 PM so there is no time to mess around or get caught up in class after school as friends and teachers are reduced to levels of minimum importance. Practice only lasts from 3 – 4 due to pool time conflicts, but the team continues after 4 for another half an hour or so with dry land exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and leg lifts to strengthen out-of-season muscles that are quickly fine-tuned back into the iron hammies that drive the Garfield state dynasty.

This year, the team is expected to surpass all expectations as the team returns seven swimmers who competed at the state tournament level last year. An influx of new talent such as much anticipated freshman Andrew Nemeth will be an unexpected help to the Bullfrogs this year.

The boys showed up strong Friday, November 30, handling the wolves of Eastlake like a bunch of unruly kids defeating them 103 – 79.

“This lopsided victory over Eastlake really just shows me that if everybody stays healthy throughout the season, then we could very well go undefeated through the season and districts and come back and make another big statement and showing at state,” said senior captain Cody Moore.

However, this may be easier said than done as grades, paperwork, and injury all are looming issues for the boys swimming team.

“We have the talent, youth, and overall upside,” said junior Owen Howey. “It’s just a matter of working harder and staying eligible.”

Despite these minor setbacks, the team looks towards a season guaranteed to be riddled with successes. Who knows when or where they will come, but one thing we know is that their most notorious victory will be over the administration as they will once again make a seemingly celebrity appearance at the winter sports assembly. And who knows, maybe I’ll pick up on a pointer or two on how to get my sexy on better in the water, since these guys obviously seem to have it down.