With the smell of chlorine and water in the air, the loud echo from the cheering crowd in the background gets tuned out by the contestants. Everybody watches the swimmers race down his or her lanes and wait to see who pulls the lead in a neck and neck chase for the gold. The pain of all the practices and workouts are finally being put into action and the adrenaline pumps through each participant’s body. For senior Savannah Sheppard, this feeling is one she’s been able to acknowledge for many years as part of the LC-M swim team.

While the swim team does not practice nor compete here at the school, its members are just as active as any of the other sports on campus. Just like any other dedicated organization, it takes much hard work to be a good competitor and with devotion comes desired results.

“(The best part about being a swimmer is) traveling across the state for meets and experiencing your hard work paying off as your name is called as the new District Champion,” Sheppard said.

Every activity has its challenges and for the swim team it is early morning practices and competitions, along with being a “hidden” sport.

“Waking up at 3 a.m. to make early morning practice and being told that ‘swimming isn’t a sport’ by other athletes that have never attended a practice (is the hardest part about being a swimmer),” Sheppard said.

There are many things that go into being a good swimmer and being on the swim team.

“(You need) endurance, heart, spirit, and you must be independent as well as having incredibly strong swimming skills,” Sheppard said. “This is competitive swimming, not ‘doggy paddling.’”

During the course of just this school year, the swim team has participated in six meets and competed against many schools in the district including Silsbee, Sour Lake, Hardin Jefferson and Hampshire Fannett. Freshman Connor Alexander participates in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke. Sheppard participates in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 200 I.M. and the 50 freestyle.

The team practices in different place such as Sulphur, Louisiana (Sheppard) and Beaumont (Alexander). They practice five times a week including Saturdays and their district meet was held on Jan. 30 in Beaumont. Sheppard placed high enough to advance to the Regional meet, which will be held this upcoming weekend.