The smell of chlorine hangs in the air as the members of WKU Swim Club begin practice on Thursday, April 17.
Swim Club’s captain, Jacob Basham from Bowling Green, said the club started on Oct. 18, 2024. He said the members are still as excited to compete and travel as they were when they first began. As a freshman, Basham said it has helped him out during his first year of college.
“I wanted to know if there was any way that I could start something with some friends that I knew swam and have a fun environment where we could travel and really do whatever we wanted to, while still staying in shape,” Basham said.
Basham said that although he could have had the opportunity to transfer to another university to join an official swim team, he wanted to stay at WKU.
“I wish that we had a swim team,” Basham said. “I’m really comfortable here at Western. I really like the engineering program and I’m already making a lot of friends.”
Basham said that he started swimming over a year ago when he joined the Greenwood High School Swim Team. He said when he got to WKU, he was not dissuaded from starting the Swim Club despite the 5-year suspension of the WKU Swimming and Diving Team in 2015.
“I think the first step, if we do want to see another swim program here at Western, is having a club that grows and is fun,” Basham said. “Sort of re-fostering that good environment that gets that bad taste out of people’s mouths.”
Basham said that the club and their adviser, Benjamin Dinan, an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department, travel to different states to compete with a mixture of people who swim casually and competitively within college clubs.
He said that with the help of local sponsors such as Mancino’s and 440 Main, the club has traveled to places such as Cincinnati, Chicago, Louisville, Lexington and recently, Milwaukee.
“Right now, we just travel,” Basham said. “It’s been surprisingly more competitive than we expected it to be.”
Basham said that the Swim Club has been a big first step for him at WKU.
“I really wanted to do something that I could leave my mark on Western,” Basham said. “I really love athletics and general sports.”
Basham said that the club is the kind of environment that still honors student spirit without professional swimming expectations.
“It’s not an incredibly professional, tight ship,” Basham said. “But I think it’s a little bit unique in the low barrier to entry and the amount of travel that you get to do.”
Swim Club member Ross DeZur said that he’s been swimming since he was 4 years old. DeZur is a first-year psychology major from Naperville, Illinois. He said he played water polo for most of his high school career before joining the Swim Club.
“Not being in the pool is kind of weird for me,” DeZur said. “Joining the swimming club was a way for me to be in the pool and still enjoy my activities I used to enjoy back in high school.”
DeZur said that when he discovered the Swim Club, he knew he wanted to join.
“I just came off my water polo season, so I wasn’t really thinking about it,” DeZur said. “But as the months went by, I was yearning for a way to get back in the water.”
DeZur said students may feel like the club is like high school sports, where practice can be a drag. However, he said that the club is better than that.
“You can be competitive at the club swim meets, but you can also still have a lot of fun, being around everyone and going to different cities,” Dezur said.
Freshman Henry LaPerna from Naperville, Illinois, said that he and Ross, who are fraternity brothers of Phi Delta Theta, found out about Swim Club through their friends at the fraternity.
“Originally, me and Ross wanted to start a water polo team at Western,” LaPerna said. “We found out that water polo isn’t a big thing around here, so we reached out to join the Swim Club.”
Similarly to DeZur, LaPerna said that he was also coming out of a swimming season. He said that he attended high school with DeZur and competed in water polo together.
“I went from doing sports to doing no sports,” LaPerna said. “I didn’t really know what to do with myself.”
LaPerna said that Swim Slub allows him to branch out to another community involving swimming.
“Being from Illinois, it’s a little harder to branch out,” LaPerna said. “I joined the team and met some new guys that I probably wouldn’t have met if I didn’t join.”
At first, LaPerna said that he was hesitant because of the pressures that other sports can have on athletes.
“A lot of people think it’s a chore if you’re on the team because it’s a lot of commitment,” LaPerna said. “For us, it’s not as much commitment. Whether it’s travel or if it’s the goofy practices, it’s all about the fun.”
LaPerna said that traveling has given him more memorable experiences. He said there was a time when the club traveled and had to run in the rain for dinner.
“We had to run from the bottom to the top of Cincinnati to get sushi,” LaPerna said. “I thought that was a really fun memory.”
LaPerna said the club gets to competitions early so they can explore the city right before a big swim meet.
“It’s the perfect weekend, and it’s a nice getaway,” LaPerna said.
Basham said he encourages students from diverse backgrounds with an interest in swimming to join the Swim Club.
“We’re trying to branch out of the team for more people to join, boys and girls, so it’s more diverse, and everyone can have more fun,” LaPerna said.
LaPerna said that there are several ways to reach out to the club. Whether it be through social media, in-person, or even showing up to the club practices, they are always reachable.
“I’d encourage people who are interested to check us out on Instagram and send us a DM,” Basham said.
Basham said the club sets up an environment where anyone can grow.
“We hope to keep providing a fun environment for kids that want to stay active or keep on reaching higher goals,” Basham said. “In swimming, you get out what you put in, if you set your mind to it.”
DeZur said that the best parts of Swim Club are the friendships he’s found.
“I think that’s what the fun part about it is, is that everyone’s different but we’re all the same at the same time,” DeZur said.
Basham said that the Swim Club is out of season but coming back next semester with meets starting in September.