Sports like football, basketball and baseball often receive the spotlight due to their popularity. However, this year, it’s the swim and dive team making a splash after cruising to two State Championship titles last year, with several athletes already committed to major college programs. This year, two standouts include junior Luc Dionne and senior Owen Friedman, who have already committed to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.
Their commitment process is not just about speed in the pool but also finding the right fit for their futures. For both Dionne and Friedman, choosing the right program involved several factors that differed for each athlete.
For Dionne, the path to success didn’t come overnight. Dionne has been swimming for nine years, first joining a club team when he was 12 years old, around seventh grade. Dionne changed his mentality, telling himself if he wanted to be the best swimmer he could, it was up to him and no one else.
“I wasn’t always naturally gifted at swimming,” Dionne said. “A lot of kids were better than me even at this school back when I was younger.”
Dionne’s dedication to sleep, nutrition and training helped him transform into one of the top swimmers in the state. Last season, he captured two individual state titles, the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley, having a key role in the boys’ swim team state championship title.
“Last year was really special because it was the first time anyone in the 3a/4a division has ever won both boys and girls together for states,” head coach Jamie Grimes said. “They both stepped up really well in the meet: they won the medley relay together and set a team record. They’re both really hard workers and team oriented and I am excited to have them back again this year.”
When it came time to choose a college, he approached the decision logically. Dionne recently announced that he will be heading down to Charlottesville to swim at the University of Virginia as a member of the Class of 2031.
“Find the school you love the most,” Dionne said. “Commit for the place, not the coach. The coach could leave at any time because it’s their job. It’s important to keep in mind you fall in love with the school first. UVA has a great swim program, good academics and it’s not too far, which is why I chose to commit there.”
For Friedman, swimming has been part of his life since elementary school. He started swimming on a competitive club team back in kindergarten. While the sport has always been part of his routine, he didn’t start seriously considering college swimming until his sophomore year. Like many athletes, Friedman faced setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. With pools closed, training slowed.
“During COVID, I stopped swimming as often, so back then, I didn’t know if I could swim in college,” Friedman said. “But, after I picked it back up, I knew I could.”
After months of visits, recruiting emails and tough choices, Friedman has committed to Tufts University outside of Boston, a Division III program known for its balance of strong academics and competitive athletics.
“Keep reaching out, no matter if you think you’re fast enough or good enough,” Friedman said. “For me, the process started summer after sophomore year, and then it kind of just went on a really long time and nothing really happened until this past summer. The biggest factors for me were location, size and academics.”
In hindsight, their choices might seem pretty straightforward, but the path these two took required months of communication, evaluation and uncertainty. With athletes like Dionne and Friedman leading the way, WJ’s swim and dive team continues to prove that commitment to excellence and perseverance is what drives their success.
