Finley finds success in first high school swim season
When it comes to his favorite subject in school, Francis Howell Central freshman Dryden Finley likes to be an active participant.
“Chemistry is the best because we get to do hands-on work like using Bunsen burners to melt glass,” Finley said. “I work hard in school the same way I do swimming.”
Just as he’s been busy putting the heat to glass when in his favorite class, Finley has had a hot start to his high school swim career.
In addition to already owning school records, he ended his first season of high school swimming with a third-place finish in the state in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 50.68 seconds at the MSHSAA Class 2 state swim meet at the Rec-Plex on Nov. 15. Additionally, Finley also took 16th in the 100 freestyle (50.09).
He accounted for all 17 of the Spartans’ team points as Central took home 20th place in the state.
“It’s cool,” Finley said. “My finish was not what I hoped for, after my prelim swim I was hoping to drop a little more time in finals. I was extremely nervous, but I knew that I had trained for this, and I was there to perform, so I was going to give (my best).”
Finley said that he’s very goal-oriented in life and the pool.
While he may not have exactly hit upon what he aimed for this season, it gives him plenty to shoot for in the coming years and the hard work necessary to achieve his goals is something which he relishes, he said.
“I had a couple of goals going into this season, being I wanted to try and win state, take as many school records as I could, and potentially try and get a Winter Juniors qualifier,” Finley said. “I was able to get the 100 fly and the 100 free school records, but the Winter Juniors qualifier is a goal I will be bringing into the club season though, as that one isn’t done just yet.”
Central coach Robin Hussey said that Finley’s final race of the season in the fly was a testament to not only the hard work he’s put in throughout the season but his ability to come through in the clutch.
After all, his time was more than two seconds below his state qualifying time of 53.09.
“His goal at the beginning of the season was to make the top eight at state, and he would have been happy with that,” Hussey said. “So, a two-and-a-half-second drop was a nice surprise, but that was the second time he broke his school record this year. He will consistently break his records – and (the) school’s – as he progresses in his swimming.
“Dryden is driven to do his best,” she continued. “He is a hard worker and (is) dedicated to results. He enjoys helping others perform at their best level and is a great teammate and sportsman. Dryden has excellent stroke technique and is a real competitor. He does not leave anything in the pool but goes all out to the finish.”
Finley said that he tries to take a consistent mental approach to the sport he loves.
The approach involves never getting too high or too low when it comes to what the timer shows.
“Whenever I have success I try and celebrate it, but also not let it get to my head,” Finley said. “I often go right into setting my next extreme goal, and training till I get it.”
