Jacob McCredie, sophomore, is a very successful swimmer here at Pleasant Valley. He began swimming in sixth grade after his parents recommended it, and he has been doing it ever since. McCredie participates on the high school team during the winter, and the Piranhas Swim Club throughout the rest of the year.

Since he began swimming, McCredie has had many different coaches, including the junior high coaches, high school coach, and multiple club coaches. Such frequent transitions would be difficult for most athletes, but McCredie maintains a positive outlook on it. McCredie said, “Having so many different coaches has given me a lot of different perspectives on the sport to help me become a better swimmer all-around.”

McCredie is very dedicated to his sport, evidenced by the fact that he practices anywhere from six to eleven times each week. Several of these practices even take place in the morning, beginning as early as 5:30 a.m.

All of this hard work has paid off though. McCredie managed to qualify for the high school state meet for the first time this year in the 100 yard breaststroke, his favorite event to swim. At the state meet, McCredie placed 20th with a time of 1:02.80. “The fact that I made it to state now gives me the motivation to keep working hard so I can continue to improve,” said McCredie.

Talent and a hard work ethic are not the only things McCredie brings to his swim team; he is also a great teammate. Will Nash, sophomore, said, “Jacob is a great person to have on the team because he’s always positive and in a good mood. He’s a huge part of the team.”

As rewarding as his successes have been, McCredie’s favorite part about swimming has been the friendships he has made with the other members of his team. He explained how everyone is always laughing and joking around at practice, which makes the difficult sets a little more bearable and helps him to continue to enjoy the sport.