Case Hummer ’20
Jacob Zeng ’20
Courtney of Courtney Brinkerhoff-Rau
The Boys’ Athlete of the Month for the month of February is awarded to the gifted swimmer Sam Wesley, who has had a standout season. Sam helped contribute to the swim team’s first Inter-Ac title in 49 years.
Before Sam’s great success in the events such as the 400 Free Relay, his work ethic and attitude played a vital role in his improvement. As described by Ned Morgan ‘20, “He comes day in and day out and works hard. He enjoys working because he knows that with every stroke he takes, he’s getting better. My teammates and I respect it.”
His motivation has been present for years, ever since Sam’s early swimming career during his childhood. Sam started swimming when he was eight years old at the Prospect Park Swim Club and two years later he decided to join a year-round swim club at the Ridley Area YMCA. During this time, Sam not only began working on his swimming career, but also learned to genuinely enjoy the sport.
When Sam and his twin brother Ben were applying to EA, they both hoped to find a way to contribute to the school and looked forward to the opportunity to swim at EA. Going into his third year with the team, Sam had high hopes for the 2018-2019 season because of the talent and energy within the team. He said, “We knew throughout the past two years that our core group of swimmers were going to stay together and improve over time.” This resulted in the team winning the Inter-Ac which was the highlight of the season. Specifically during the 400 Free Relay, Sam was able to win the race and seal a 93-93 tie against Malvern.
Reflecting on the season, Sam was not only happy about the performance of the team, but also the bonding that occured between them. Sam describes, “The most helpful aspect of the whole season for our team was getting to know one other. All of us organized different events throughout the season to really bond well, and I believe that is what helped us with the success of our season.”
Looking forward to next year, Sam and the team hope to continue their success and improve even more. Fellow swimmer Ned Morgan describes Sam’s potential and how it will help the team next year: “He has improved a lot in my eyes from the past years and is still on the rise. He’s taken down some pretty good swimmers this year, so next season should be exciting to see where he helps bring us as a program”. Sam has performed exceptionally and is a major part of the swim team. He has one more season swimming for Episcopal, and we hope to see his success continue.