The pool deck goes instinctively quiet as the eight swimmers, poised atop the blocks, await the starting whistle. With a shrill beep, they leap off into their 50 yard freestyle race, the water quickly becoming a splashing, frothing frenzy as the swimmers scramble across the pool, through their turns and back to the wall.

It’s neck and neck, but as the bubbles settle, it’s clear that it’s freshman Jordan Jet Lee — more commonly known as Jet — who takes the win: 34 seconds.

Jet said he decided to join the swim team this year after having competed with his club team for the past three years to continue improving and staying in shape through the end of the year.

“Swimming is really good exercise,” Jet said. “It makes you poo a lot, which is healthy.”

Jet said joining the varsity swim team came with its fair share of surprises, including the major time commitment and heavy practices, but he said the friendly and close-knit team helped ease the transition.

“Swimming is a lot of yardage with you having to constantly swim laps, which is not very enjoyable,” Jet said. “But the team has made the overall experience more fun since swimming is not the most fun sport in the world.”

Throughout the season, Jet’s commitment, personality and leadership earned him the inaugural role of Freshman Captain, a position Jet said he gladly took on even despite the already significant rigors of freshman year.

“It has added lots of responsibilities to myself,” Jet said. “Having as much power as, say, (Captain) Thomas Risma is an honor, and I feel my leadership qualities were really displayed while being Freshman Captain.”

Outside of the pool, Jet said he enjoys playing video games, further connecting with his teammates after practice over games like Fortnite, Valorant, Apex Legends and Minecraft.

“Video games are great because unlike swimming which isn’t that fun, video games are fun,” Jet said. “So it’s a great way to actually have fun with the team.”

Looking back on the season, Jet said he values the close friendships he has formed and looks forward to his next three seasons.

“My time on the swim team was the best part of the entire school year,” Jet said. “Everyone is a family on the team, which I really enjoy being a part of.”