Fresh Start for Swim Team

Captain looks to add more after good beginning

By Richard Hough

With the start of swimming season, senior Rafael Villanueva looks forward to his new role as team captain. Villanueva earned the respect of his teammates after he was selected by them to be their leader.

“I picked the top two candidates, the team voted him to be the captain,” swim coach Michael Douglas said. “They are taking charge and doing what they are supposed to do.”

Villanueva developed a passion for swimming at the age of nine, which was the first time he jumped into a pool.

“When I was younger, I would go to my cousin Humberto’s swim meets,” Villanueva said. “I saw the competitiveness and that’s when I knew I wanted to swim.”

Villanueva is still getting adjusted to his new role as captain, but that hasn’t stopped him from working as hard as he did before.

“I had to show hard work and dedication to have that role on the team,” Villanueva said. “I had to be a role model to the younger teammates, so they knew that working hard pays off.”

Going into the first meet, Douglas was curious to see how his new captain and teams would perform.

“My best time was a 25:57 in a 50m freestyle relay. We placed first in our boys relay division,” Villanueva said.

After the first meet he was confident in their performance, but there were still some holes to fill on the team, looking for more male swimmers.

“I wish I had more boys on the team,” Douglas said. “They are all working hard and they deserve to have more personnel on the team to compete, and take a load off them.”

If any students are interested in joining the swimming team, contact Michael Douglas at 915-937-3484 or email him at [email protected].