This past weekend, I had the opportunity to interview OP swimmer Sam Ilagan. Sam is a junior at Oratory and he has been swimming for the OP swim team for the last two years. As the swim season is about to begin, I wanted to ask Sam a couple of questions about the team and his personal goals for the upcoming swim season. 

1. How long have you been swimming?

I’ve been swimming for as long as I can remember, really. Ever since I was really young, I have had a passion for swim and I started swimming competitively about 10 years ago.

1. What strokes do you swim?

For Oratory, I swim different distances of freestyle and breaststroke, and I will also swim a couple of relays for the squad every once in a while.

1. What is your favorite event to swim?

My favorite event to swim in is the 50 free because it is very quick and I get in and out within a minute.

1. What are the team goals for this year?

One huge goal for the OP swim team this year is to beat Pingry in the state championship. We have lost to them in two of the last 3 years and this year we are looking for redemption to finally win that swim championship.

1. Do you have any personal goals for this year?

Yes, I do. I want to obviously help out the team as much as I can and I personally want to set a personal record in all of the events that I swam last year.

1. Are you excited to have a new coach this year?

Yes, I’m stoked. Both Coach Bradley and Coach O’Connor know what they are doing and they are excited to give this team a chance to reach the state championship for the 3rd time in the last 4 years. They both bring positive mentalities and positive motivation for all the swimmers on the team, something I enjoy a lot.

1. When is the team’s first meet?

The team’s first meet is next Monday, December 9th, against Cranford at the Cranford Pool. I would encourage as many people to come out to support their fellow rams.

I would like to thank Sam for his time to answer these questions regarding the upcoming OP swim season and I would like to wish good luck to all the swimmers for the Rams this season, as a championship run awaits them in the next couple of months!