York senior Flanagan Waldherr excels at both academics and swimming.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
York senior Flanagan Waldherr ended his high-school swimming career on a high note.
Waldherr qualified for the boys state swimming finals in the 500 freestyle for a second year in a row. Waldherr finished 18th in the preliminary round of the 500 at state with a time of 4:42.53.
Waldherr was one of four York swimmers/divers to make the state meet this season along with Alex Marlott, Peter Barabolak and freshman Branko Kosanovich. The Independent has a profile of Barabolak in this issue and will feature Marlott and Kosanovich in next week’s edition.
“I learned how to swim the 500 a little bit better this year,” said Waldherr earlier last week. “I got better at swimming it along with the other people in the pool. I learned it was more about racing the other people in the pool and pushing myself more.”
Waldherr said he preferred swimming the 500. “I had endurance,” he said. “If I had to swim a short 50 or 100, I couldn’t do it. I’m not a sprinter. I can hold on longer than most.”
Waldherr was thrilled with the amount of swimmers (and diver) York qualified for state this year.
“That’s awesome to have three swimmers and diver,” he said. “It’s the best this team’s done in a while.”
Waldherr has seen his swimming acumen take a leap forward over the last four years. “Freshman year I didn’t even swim the 500,” he said. “How I got started in the 500 is a good question. There was a freshman invite where they had a 400, which isn’t even a real race. I did the 400 and won the freshman meet. I kept swimming the breaststroke but the next season I started focusing more on the distance races. From there it was just about all I did.”
Waldherr has fond memories of his time in the York boys’ program. “It’s been a great time,” he said. “Being a senior it’s tough because the state meet is the last time I’ll do it in high school. It’s been one big family.”
Waldherr would like to continue his swimming career at the next level. “I’m not sure exactly where I’m going, but I definitely know I want to swim,” he said. “I’m looking at a lot of smaller schools. It’s definitely something I want to keep doing, but right now I have no idea specifically where I will end up.”
Waldherr said he would like to study electrical engineering in college. “I have some interest in robotics,” he said. “That’s something I would like to get exposure to in college.”
Waldherr is no slouch in the classroom either. In fact, he’s in the running for earning National Merit Scholar finalist designation.
“The National Merit thing is really crazy,” he said. “There’s a test and application. A lot of work went into it. That’s really cool to be able to say you’ve gotten to that point. It’s an accomplishment.”
Waldherr said he’s slated to receive word in March if he is a finalist.
“Academics are extremely important,” he said. “The first thing our coach (Mark Laurich) says to us from freshmen to seniors is your first goal is to be an academic all-conference selection. He tells us we’re students first and athletes after that.”
For Waldherr success has come in both arenas—standout swimmer and accomplished student.
