John Bishop ’22
Photo courtesy of collegeswimming.com
Episcopal’s undefeated swim team has been a force all season, winning the Inter-Ac title and gearing up for Inter-Ac championships which are just around the corner. With only a few more weeks left in the swimming season, senior Cole Whitsett ‘20, who has committed to the University of Tennessee, is looking to put an exclamation mark on the career he has had at EA.
Whitsett has been swimming all of his life and started swimming competitively at around seven years old. He was inspired by Michael Phelps to swim competitively, which is why he chose to compete in both the butterfly and breaststroke events. A varsity member since 8th grade, he has continued to improve his relay times. This year, he became the national record holder in the 100m butterfly. While that is not Whitsett’s favorite moment in his swimming career at EA, he says that “Last year, the team beat Germantown Academy and won the Inter-Ac title, which was so special for me and the team.”
Whitsett is a swimmer who provides leadership, skill, and a plethora of school spirit that helps lead the team to success. With regards to his role on the team, he says, “In my junior and senior years, I felt I needed to be a leader.” His leadership helped the team just recently win back-to-back Inter-Ac titles. Whitsett said, “My past experiences on the swim team helped me become the best leader and teammate I could be,” ultimately leading the team to success in the past two years.
Brian Kline, Director of Aquatics and Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Swim and Dive Head Coach, described Whitsett as “one of the fiercest competitors I have ever seen.” He also adds, “Now as much as Cole wants to reach his individual goals, he would agree that it’s not just about him, it’s about his teammates, his co-captains, and the coaches working together to reach a common goal.” That goal could be as simple as winning a dual meet or trying to beat a personal best time in a meet.
Fellow co-captain of the swim team and a teammate of Whitsett for four years, Ben Wesley ’20, said, “He is a great guy, both in and out of the pool. He’s been a great part of the team, both in relays and as a captain.”
The future looks bright, both for Whitsett and the EA Swim Team. Whitsett is gearing up for not just the final stretch of the season but to swim competitively at the University of Tennessee. Kline is “excited to see how well Cole does in Division 1 swimming and see him reach his full potential.”
In regards to the final weeks of the season, both Whitsett and Wesley feel with the amount of depth they have and strong bonds they have created as teammates this season, the team has a great chance of finishing as strong as they started as well as leaving a legacy on the EA Swim Team for years.