Senior Alex Marlott ends his York swimming career at the state meet.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
York senior boys swimmer Alex Marlott identified something that needed work.
And then he took action.
“Last year I was one second shy of state,” he said. “I needed to get my walls better than they were last year. They were a weak point.”
Marlott’s hard work paid off. He qualified for state this season in the backstroke where he finished 31st with a time of 53.37.
“I had been working hard to get to state,” said Marlott the week of the state meet. “It was four seasons building up to getting to that meet. I worked on my walls a lot. I needed them to be better. I knew if I could get a good rate with the under-waters and the walls I definitely could get the state time.”
Marlott pointed out any improvements in a shorter race such as the butterfly can take a swimmer a long way.
“Especially in the shorter sprinting events, the little improvements can help your time,” he said. “In a race that clock never stops so you have to make sure every bit counts and every bit is perfect.”
Marlott said there’s one key to swimming a good backstroke race.
“The key is all about the legs,” he said. “You have to have a good kick and good under-waters. When you get those legs kicking and going strong you have to make sure your arms are strong enough to keep up with the legs.”
Marlott isn’t sure on his college destination quite yet other than he would like to swim at the next level.
“I am hoping to swim in college and am waiting to hear back from some schools,” said Marlott, who noted he would like to study something in the science field.
Marlott said he enjoyed being a team leader but gave plenty of props to senior teammate and 500 swimmer Flanagan Waldherr.
“We definitely had good senior leadership,” he said. “Flanagan stepped up as a leader. He’s always been a leader on the team and always a leader in the 500. He took it upon himself to lead the distance and sprinter guys. He was a great captain.”
Marlott was part of a York team that enjoyed a fine season, which included a third-place showing at a tough sectional meet.
“This year is the best we’ve done in my four years here,” he said. “It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come especially with some of the freshmen that came in with a lot of talent. Those younger guys helped us get third at the sectionals. It’s been great to see the team grow like it has the past few years at York.”
