12/19/24 Captains of the Week: Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Swim

Courtesy of Meg Blitzshaw

By ISABEL EVANS, HUGO SHINN, KEVIN THANT, and ARJUN VELAN

Exeter’s Swim and Dive team has undergone major improvements in recent years, with the girls’ team winning the NEPSAC championship for the past two years and the boys’ team placing second last year. A large part of this success is due to the leadership surrounding the team, including head coach Don Mills and captains Brianna Cong, Sophie Phelps, Ethan Guo, and Winston Wang, all seniors. Their leadership qualities unite the team through their work in the pool and the captain-organized events outside of the pool.

Unsurprisingly, each of the captains has had a long history with swimming. “I was recruited to swim here,” Wang said. 

All four captains have been on the team for the entirety of their Exeter experience, with swimming being a major part of their lives even before the Academy as well.

This long experience with swimming has helped these seniors serve the team effectively as captains. “I’ve been a swimmer for so many years, and I feel like I have a lot of experience racing,” Wang said. “That’s something I’m able to offer to some of our newer swimmers at meets.” 

Guo highlighted a similar part of his experience. “Having been on the team all of my years at Exeter and observing what has worked well and what hasn’t, also having worked with different clubs and coaches, I have experienced a lot of different environments and atmospheres.” 

Cong commented, “We’ve swum for SOLO, the club team that trains here at the Roger Nekton Pool.” 

Swimming for most committed swimmers is a year-long sport, and in the off-season, many swimmers opt to train outside of the school’s winter program. “This dual experience has given us a broader perspective on training and competition, enabling us to connect with teammates who train year-round and share valuable lessons we’ve learned,” Cong added.

Younger athletes on the team recognize the captains’ strength in their positions, commenting on the atmosphere they foster. “They’re really supportive during training,” said prep Owen Lee. 

Lower Ethan Lu shared this sentiment. “They provide great leadership and motivation for all of us.”

The captains work hard to maintain this environment, hoping to create support and energy surrounding training and meets. Cong said, “For big meets, as captains, we prioritize building excitement and confidence by reminding everyone of the hard work we’ve put in and our ability to perform under pressure.” 

Wang agreed. “I just want to bring that team energy. I want to get the team excited for every practice so that they’re ready to lock in and go fast.”

This strategy has helped many members of the team push themselves, ultimately improving their times through their encouragement. “Winston has been giving many motivational speeches before meets, improving our morale and performance,” Lee highlighted.

While the captains maintain high morale through pep talks and other contributions, they realize the importance of small gestures to keep morale high. Cong emphasized, “Ethan keeps us focused and working as a group by calling out intervals, so we all leave the wall together,” she commented. 

A major aspect of the team’s success is their punctuality and the way in which members hold each other accountable. Lee explained that the captains created a group chat, ensuring everyone knew the different practice times, as well as any updates to the schedule.

Lower Sebastien TranPham noticed the supportive nature of the team’s culture, noting, “In between races, you’re always with other people, you’re always supporting people, and holding people accountable if they didn’t do their best at meets or practice.” 

The captains’ leadership styles have worked to foster the encouraging energy of the team even when they’re not present, helping the team to be well-rounded in their goals.

But even outside of practice and swimming, the captains are involved in logistical work. Cong highlighted new updates such as new Nike suits, switching the team cap color, and pushing towards a Lululemon store.

Unity is another critical factor in the captain’s leadership. “The four make a great team in terms of energy, thoughtfulness, grit, and work ethic,” stated Mills. 

TranPham highlighted, “They’re organizing a Secret Santa, which is always fun.” 

Cong expanded on the event’s purpose, declaring that “events like Secret Santa have been great for building camaraderie early in the season.”

It’s the strong leadership driving improvement, as ultimately the team’s end goal is to become faster. Mills added, “We are very fortunate to have four captains that connect with the team at different levels, already showing strong leadership qualities over the first few weeks of the season.” The captains are working together to foster that unity and determination in the team, anticipating the improvements the team is undergoing. 

“The team is getting in better shape day by day, and I’m excited to see some of the results come through in our meets,” Guo commented. 

Many captains cited improvement from team members as some of their favorite memories. “The amount of time we spend together—whether at meets or during double practices with SOLO—means that, for many of us, our lives revolve around the pool,” Cong stated.  “Watching all the hard work from our swimmers pay off in such a tangible way was truly rewarding and made me feel grateful for being part of such a dedicated and supportive team.”

Wang agreed. “I think every time someone on the team [gets] their best time, goes fast or wins a race, those moments are really special and demonstrate our hard work in practice and bring the team together.”

Ultimately, the team hopes to win the NEPSAC title—the girls training to claim the title as a three-peat and the boys working to achieve what they hoped to accomplish last year. With the strong leadership of these four captains, that goal is not far away.