By Andrew Howard ’17
THE ROUNDUP
Jack Blake ’17 said he does not know what his life would be like without swimming.
Blake competes in the 50, 100, and 200-meter freestyle, as well as the 100-meter breaststroke, 200 IM, and the 100 backstroke.
Blake started swimming competitively at age six.
“Brophy swim is really geared toward being unified as a team, whereas club you really want to do well individually, and the team aspect of it is almost nonexistent,” Blake said when asked how Brophy swim differs from club competition “The retreat to Manresa is a huge part of what makes brophy swim and dive the team it is today. We bond while we’re there and we really become close.”
The annual trip to Manresa is a big part of all varsity sports, and the retreats are geared toward unifying the team and getting the team prepared for the season.
“I have to be extremely organized to be able to juggle both school, high school swim and club swim,” Blake said “I just have to get all my work in on time and try to stay ahead of the curve as best as I can.”
Blake’s ability to swim in a variety of events makes him a versatile part of this years team.
“You can’t teach what Jack has,” said Coach Mr. Pat O’Neill. “Jack is a very talented swimmer, he is very focused when he is in the water.”
Blake is also nationally ranked in the 50-meter freestyle.
“He is one of the fastest sprinters in the country” Mr.O’Neill said.
Blake said there will be some freshman that will make an impact on the team.
“We have a pretty strong group of freshmen this year. A few of them might make an impact like Zach Palisack ’18, Michael Niezgodzki ’18, A.J. Frakes ’18 and Patrick Schram ’18. These are just a few names, in a few years to come the whole freshmen class will be a power house for BCP swim and dive.” Blake said.
Blake said he looks to improve his times from last year and continue to make an impact on the team.
