Senior Matt Magness has worked hard in the pool for years, and will be furthering his swimming career as a Buckeye next year.

Swimming, like most sports, is focused around teamwork. Each swimmer relies on the other to win the race.

“My favorite part about swimming is the team aspect,” Magness said. “We work together towards one goal of getting better and faster.”

Magness tends to be hard on himself when he fails to perform to his highest level.

“It’s frustrating when you don’t do as well as you should for a swim meet,” Magness said. “But, most of it is just focusing on the training I’ve done and the [trying] to get the times I want.”

Magness is an overall strong swimmer, and competes in a number of races.

“I swim in the 200m and 500m free, the butterfly, and the 400 intermediate medley,” Magness said. “My favorite race is the 200m free because it’s a pretty long race but also short enough where it can be a sprinted.”

Before coming to Malvern, Magness knew Head Swimming Coach Jay Schiller for years.

“I met Mr. Schiller when I was five years old when he was coaching in a summer swim league,” Magness said. “When I started looking at Malvern, I reached out to him and he introduced me to everything.”

Magness started his swimming career at Malvern in the fall of 2016. Before attending, he only knew a few people. One of those familiar faces was teammate and senior Connor Cary.

“I have known Matt since I can even remember,” Cary said. “He’s humble and does everything with a purpose and doesn’t take time off.”

Because Magness sets a good example in the pool, Cary has been able to build off him.

“He does all the little things well,” Cary said. “He always has a strong stroke. He always works on his underwaters. He always has a powerful kick; his breathing power is great. He has a great momentum against the walls, and he has a great start. He sets himself apart from everything else because he is of that caliber. He does everything with attention to detail and speed.”

The leadership and teamwork on this team haven’t gone unnoticed.

“We have a great senior class, and we are very excited for the upcoming season,” Head Coach Jay Schiller said. “I expect this team to be one of the best relay swim teams at Malvern.”

Although Magness is not one of the team’s captains this year, he still has a leadership role on the team.

“[Magness] is a leader by example;” Schiller said. “He is very hardworking and dedicated.”

Magness’ strong work ethic has been shown since he was 12 years old, swimming for his club team, the West Chester Golden Rams.

“He was really spectacular for how old he was,” Cary said. “When he was 12, he broke the record for the National Freestyle. I remember cheering him on and knowing how great he was at that time.”

Last year, Magness was named the Most Valuable Swimmer at the 2018 National Catholic Championship. He came in third at the 200 free, seventh in the 500, and was a member of two All-American free relays.

None of these accomplishments would have been possible if it weren’t for Magness’ drive. “Tenacious,” is the one word Schiller used to describe him.

“He loves to win and is a great competitor,” Schiller said.