Athlete of the Week: Joel Lotzkar
Two swimmers push off the spring on the wall of the pool and begin swimming their final lap of breaststroke. Senior Joel Lotzkar is neck-and-neck with his challenger in the adjacent lane. Together, they pass the halfway point and push through the burning pain in their bodies. His iconic white swim cap pops in and out of the water. From the pool deck his teammates cheer, encouraging their co-captain to edge out his opponent and win the race. Lotzkar takes one last stroke and glides into the wall, touching it at almost exactly the same time as the swimmer next to him. The two swimmers identically turn their heads to look for their times, which shows that lane four, Lotzkar’s lane, has won by three one-hundredths of a second. The Exeter stands roar in excitement, and Lotzkar shakes hands with his opponent.
Lotzkar discovered his passion for swimming at the young age of six. After signing up for lessons in Vancouver, Canada, he found he had a natural buoyancy in the water and an intrinsic ability to master strokes. “I quickly developed good technique, so swimming was fun for me from the get go,” Lotzkar explained. Since his foundation at the C-nadian Dolphin Swim Club, Lotzkar’s repertoire of strokes has become vast and varied. He determined his favorite to be breaststroke, but Lotzkar also swims butterfly, long distance freestyle and medley.
According to Coach Don Mills, Lotzkar was on the list for potential swimmers to come to Exeter. He and Mills had exchanged emails intermittently prior to his acceptance. However, Lotzkar got in on his own merit, and as soon as he got to campus, Mills pushed for him to join the team.
When Lotzkar arrived at Exeter as a prep, he found it difficult to adjust to Exeter’s meet style because he felt that he was not accustomed to its fast pace. However, he soon found a sense of kinship and community on the swimming team, which enabled him to adapt well. “Being on varsity was an exciting experience,” he said. “I made a lot of great friends who were uppers and seniors.”
“He works so hard that we swim 80 percent, 90 percent speed—race speed, and then Joel speed,”
Mills commented on Lotzkar’s improved skills over his years at Exeter, citing pressure from older racers as a major factor in Lotzkar’s athletic growth. “Each year he has been here, he has always been under a faster breaststroker who has pushed him and made him better,” Mills said. However, Mills believed that Lotzkar, as a top breastroker for the team, has a big season ahead of him because he has the chance to “come into his own as a senior and as a captain.”
Lotzkar described being a co-captain as a rewarding experience. As he’s been on the team for the past four years, Lotzkar has gotten to see each swimmer develop and help cultivate the incoming athletes’ talent. This year, he wants to make sure he can create the same supportive environment for younger students that he was welcomed into during his first year at Exeter. “I enjoyed the team bonding experience prep year because the pool and my teammates were a second home to me,” he said. “One of my personal goals this season is to be a good leader.” Lotzkar also wants to get first place at the New England Boy’s Swimming Championships in the 100 yard breaststroke, as well as earn personal best times in his other events. Finally, he hopes that the team will place in the top three at New Englands, which he believes with hard work, is possible.
Upper Harry Saunders admires both Lotzkar’s hard work and pure talent, which have ultimately culminated in athletic greatness. “He has put in a lot of work over the last four years necessary to become captain,” Saunders said. Upper Brian Rhee agreed, saying, “There has never been as day in practice when he slacked off.” Senior Andrew Bennett echoed Rhee and Saunder’s statements, describing the infectious vigor that Lotzkar brings to the team. “He always comes to practice with positive energy,” said Bennett. “We knew each other before we swam here, but he was really welcoming.”
Saunders explained that Lotzkar’s incredible speed motivates each swimmer to push themselves each practice. “He works so hard that we swim 80 percent, 90 percent speed—race speed, and then Joel speed,” Saunders said. According to Saunders, this inspirational athleticism also comes into play during meets, as Lotzkar brings his all without jeering or boasting. “He showed me that you can be a very fierce competitor while also being a nice, respectful person,” Saunders said.
Mills described Lotzkar’s leading style as a quiet one, citing him as a co-captain who leads by example. Upper Evan Stanton reiterated this point, saying that Lotzkar reminds each team member to stay focused on the meet on bus rides and practices. However, Stanton remarked on Lotzkar’s enjoyable presence, saying, “Everyone wants to swim in Joel’s lane for practice because he is also really fun to be around and to swim with.”