By Isabelle Ruiter
March 4, 2024
In the Hamilton Pool, laminated words and phrases litter the wall around the whiteboard. From “Mojo” to “Family” to a name that means something to a select group of people, “CURRAHEE”. One small slip of paper stands out among all of these. The word “Legacy” means something to all and almost everything to senior Carson McIntire.
Swimming all four years of high school, McIntire exceeded high expectations at the beginning of the swim and dive season, making three state cuts the first three weeks of the season and bringing a whole new momentum to his final high school swim era.
“State cuts are no big deal to him,” says head coach Matt Oonk, “I figured he would get all of those cuts done right away because, again, he’s that good of a swimmer.” McIntire felt different about those first few meets. “I was very surprised to make my 200 the first meet, I felt terrible during that race,” He’s still surprised when he talks about it. Being in that headspace can usually mess with how races go, but McIntire’s first 200 Freestyle race of the season was different. With a seven-second difference between the state cut for the 200 and his actual time, McIntire was carrying a lot of momentum for meets to come. Maybe his success was because of his pre-meet prayer. Whether a quick thank you or a longer, more reflective one, McInitre says he does it before each race. It helps him zone in on trying his best and being thankful for the opportunities he’s been given.
By the time the first meet of the season rolls around, many swimmers aren’t quite at their peak shape and won’t expect optimal performance. Swimming is one of the most difficult sports to stay in shape for. Being incredibly physically and mentally demanding is unique to swimming and a few other High School sports. It’s especially difficult to stay in shape out of season as a high school student who plays multiple sports. For McIntire, that won’t hold him back, “Cross Country helped with my aerobic capacity, so it was easier to get back into the flow of things.” As a swimmer whose main events are distance, mid-distance, and sprints, being able to have that kind of stamina is ideal. “He can hit fifty after fifty and keep it consistent,” Matt Oonk bragged, “that’s something that as more of a distance kid that kinda suits him.”
Carson McIntire is built for swimming as he’s tall and has a long reach, which are two extremely beneficial traits for swimmers to have. Not only is he built for swimming, he’s worked for many years to achieve the goals he set so long ago. Oonk notices this more than anyone, “He is an incredibly hard worker and he brings that every day in practice.” The senior makes that conscious decision to empty that tank every practice and meet. “You can get any time you want if you work hard enough. I know it sounds corny,” he cringes at himself, but means what he says wholeheartedly, “If you put in the work you’ll get the success you want.”
Not only does Oonk constantly see the drive he brings, but McIntire’s teammates consistently see him bring his all, whether in meets or a tough morning practice. Junior Landen Maatman has been swimming with McIntire for three years and says McIntire’s competitive spirit drives him, “He keeps us on our toes but also keeps us having a good time while in the water.” Maatman describes McIntire with a spirit that shows how much the team looks to the senior as a leader. Regarding team bonding, he is noted as one of the most driven when it comes to getting to know one another. Swimming is an individual sport, but even so, teams perform better when everyone is in a good mood and ready to support each other. As Matt Oonk noted, “He does a great job of making sure everyone gets up and excited for meets and is cheering their teammates on throughout the course of the meet.” Maintaining a positive attitude is clearly something McIntire does incredibly well, which is difficult in a sport where there are constant physical and mental blocks. Getting down on yourself and losing self-confidence just isn’t an option if you want to succeed in a competitive swimming environment.
In terms of how McIntire wants to finish his final season, he has goals he’s excited to achieve, goals that his coach and teammates want to push him to reach. Maatman is thrilled to see what McIntire has in store for the end of the season, “I think he’s gonna pull out some Hamilton records.” Oonk says the senior has been working towards that goal for a very long time and says a record is “something that’s attainable this year for sure.” While McInitre would love to have his name up on the record board, he also wants to leave a positive lasting impact on the team, both current and future, “I hope I’ve influenced younger kids to work their hardest.” Although undecided on where Carson hopes to swim in college and bring the same positive attitude he brought to the Hamilton Boys Swim and Dive team.