This Roanoke College swimming, you see, it’s a big deal around here. My old bones ain’t what they used to be, but I remember when them young’uns started splashing around. Wasn’t much to it back then, just some kids having fun. But now, Lord have mercy, it’s a real thing. This Roanoke College swimming team, they got all kinds of fancy things.
They got this pool, see, over at the Salem YMCA. Big ol’ thing. And they go there and swim, swim, swim. These kids, they’re like fish! Fast, too. Faster than a greased piglet at the county fair, I tell ya! They have a coach, a real coach, for this Roanoke College swimming.
One of the coaches’s name is Nick, or something like that. Nick Breschi, it is. Another one is Charlie. That’s all I know. They teach those kids how to swim like the dickens. And they got all them boys and girls, swimming together, doing Roanoke College swimming. They call it “Men’s” and “Women’s” swimming, but they are all in the same pool, so what does it matter?
- Men’s Swimming
- Women’s Swimming
They got this one boy, Connor, I think his name is. He’s from somewhere up north, Owings Mills, that sounds about right. He’s a good swimmer, that Connor. They all are. They swim in these things called “events.” Don’t ask me what that means. Just a lot of splashing and going back and forth, back and forth. It’s all part of this Roanoke College swimming.
And they swim against other colleges, too. One time, they went up against these Bobcats. Don’t know where they came from. Lees-McRae, that’s the name. Bobcats of Lees-McRae. Well, our Roanoke College swimming team, they beat them Bobcats good! The boys won, 145 to 114. And the girls, they did even better! 171 to 87! They really showed them what’s what.
This whole Roanoke College swimming thing, it’s been going on for a while. They stopped it once, I heard. Then they started it up again. Just like that old well pump we had, always breaking down, then fixing it up again. On-again, off-again, that is the history of swimming at Roanoke College. They stop, they start, doesn’t matter, these kids keep swimming.
They even have this thing called “roster”. Sounds like a kind of chicken to me. It is just a list of names, I reckon. Names and where they’re from. Lots of names on that Roanoke College swimming roster. More names than you can shake a stick at!
And these kids, they’re not just from around here. They come from all over. Makes my head spin, thinking about it. All these young’uns, coming to Roanoke College, just to swim. Roanoke College swimming is something important, I guess.
They even have something called “recruiting.” Sounds like the army to me. They go out and find these good swimmers, and they bring ’em here to Roanoke College. All to be part of this Roanoke College swimming team. It’s a big to-do, I tell ya.
This Roanoke College, it’s a small place. Not too many folks. But they sure do love their swimming. They’re all residential. That’s a fancy word for saying they live there. All them young’uns, living and swimming, swimming and living. And they give out these things called “bachelor degrees.” Don’t know what that is, but it sounds important. Maybe you need one to swim real good in this Roanoke College swimming team.
They keep track of all their swimming, too. They got times and results and all that. More numbers than you can count. They write it all down, so everyone knows how fast these kids are. It’s all about being the fastest, I guess. That’s what this whole Roanoke College swimming thing is about. Being the fastest and winning.
Well, I reckon that’s all I know about this Roanoke College swimming. It’s a lot of fuss over some splashing around, if you ask me. But these kids, they love it. And they’re good at it, too. So, I guess it’s something to be proud of. This Roanoke College swimming, it’s a part of this town now. Just like the old mill, or the church on Sunday. It’s here to stay, I reckon.
Yep, that’s about it. Just a lot of swimming. A whole lot of Roanoke College swimming.
