With graceful precision, swimmers quickly dive into action the second they are cued. This friction creates a surge of water, but the waves are no match for these determined athletes, whose minds are set only on one thing: victory.
This is the moment the Austin High School Swim team took home their first triumph of the season at a quad meet against Belton ISD schools. This year’s team has come back stronger than ever, with a roster containing a total of 37 students. Last season, four individuals on the boys’ swim team set a record in the 200 freestyle relay. This season, two of the four who set this record are returning to the team as seniors, bringing the heat for their last year at Austin High.
Coached by Ryan Goodwyn and Rachel Escobedo, the Austin High swim team is one of the most competitive sports teams at Austin High, bringing strong skills and experience to the team. Coach Goodwyn has 15 years of experience as a head swim coach at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, where the team went to state 14 years in a row under his leadership. In addition to coaching, Coach Goodwyn has completed three Ironman triathlons, over a dozen marathons, and swam solo across the English Channel. Assistant coach Escobedo is an Austin High swim team alumnus and is in her 11th year coaching the Travis Country Sharks league team. Outside of coaching, Coach Escobedo is a math teacher here at Austin High.
As a dedicated member of the Austin High Swim team, Callum Trahar embodies the spirit of teamwork and responsibility. ¨I was inspired to join the swim team by another student by the name of Davis Butler, who is the older brother of one of my close friends,” said Callum. “I also was inspired to join because I had been swimming competitively at that point for 2 years and had swum competitively off and on since I was 9 years old.” Through his time with the team, Callum has had multiple memorable moments. “Definitely being able to go to College Station for the Bob Stallings meet, I think we’re very lucky that Coach Goodwin was one of the founders for that swim meet, and that’s why we are able to go every year.”
Over Callum’s nine years of swimming, he has found his favorite stroke. “My favourite stroke is easily freestyle or the ‘crawl’ as some parts of the world call it…Simply because it’s the quickest, it’s the one that drains you the least. Second is definitely breast stroke because it’s got the most powerful kick, and it’s the easiest on the joints.”
When asked about his most memorable moment on the team, Callum reflected on the experiences that have shaped his journey. Preparation is key for any athlete, and Callum emphasized the importance of both mental and physical preparation before a big meet. He stated, “Well, you know, mentally you can only prepare so much, and you have to get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before and make sure you have a good breakfast because that’s going to help you not cramp. And the best for not cramping is drinking pickle juice.”
Balancing academics and swimming can be challenging, but Callum finds it manageable with his schedule. He explained, “I think balancing swimming is probably the biggest part of it. It’s my first period class, so I essentially get a whole period off there, so there’s not a lot to balance there, but some meets happen on school days, so I would need to warn my teachers in advance. I would say it’s pretty easily done.”
“Teamwork plays a huge role in swimming,” added Callum. “One of the largest events at any meet is obviously gonna be your relays. You’ve got to have communication, you’ve got to know when you’re going to be jumping off the block, you’ve got to know who’s going to do what on that medley relay so you can get the best people doing their best skills.” Looking ahead, Callum has set ambitious goals for both himself and the team for the upcoming season. “Individually, you know it would be absolutely wonderful to get a regional spot… get past that district’s speed bump. As a team, I hope we can get a state spot because last year, a team made up entirely of sophomores and juniors was able to make a regional berth and were able to make [it to] state. However, they lost at state. If we could win something at state this year with these newly developed seniors, I think that would be incredible.”
Interestingly, not all aspects of swimming resonate with Callum, especially when it comes to dreaming about the sport. He humorously commented, “No, I have never dreamed that I’m swimming. I got to be honest, it’s too cold, I think my bed is too warm to facilitate a dream like that.”
