While much of the sports buzz around the high school is usually about other teams, it is important to take a minute to recognize an athlete from an often overlooked sport who has been tearing it up in the pool. Senior Tim Marski has been having a phenomenal season for the South Side-Lynbrook combined swim team, and he was recently named an All-American. Marski will be representing the team at the New York State Swimming and Diving Championships later this month. He will be swimming in the 200-yard freestyle, which he currently has the second fastest time in the state this season. In addition to this, he also ranks first in the state in the 500-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, is currently in third for the 100-yard freestyle, and anchored the four-man team that broke a county record in the 200-medley relay.

Marski sees his success as a great chance to compete against the best swimmers New York has to offer. “I feel like it will be a good opportunity to race others I haven’t raced in the past,” he commented. Marski’s success in the pool throughout his high school career has attracted the attention of many NCAA scouts, which led to his commitment to the University of Florida, where he will continue to swim and pursue his ultimate goal of reaching the Olympics. “I would love to be an NCAA champion,” said Marski, “but my ultimate goal would definitely be to swim in the 2020 Olympics. That’s the biggest stage there is.”

Marski’s teammates and coach also believe in his talent and work ethic. “Tim is a product of a lot of hard work with an inspirational amount of attention to detail. What makes him special is how he can do the small things in all the different disciplines; this is what has made him so versatile,” says Coach Jason Meleccio. However, the team around him is also made better by his effort and skill, according to senior Jack Hunter: “It was something special to swim with Marski for my last year on the team. You do not get to watch someone qualify for states in every event in a sport, earn the title of first in New York in his races, and be on a relay team with him every day, if ever. It was as intimidating and motivating to practice in the same lane as him. I also learned a thing or two from his pre-meet routines, like eating an entire box of Chips Ahoy before a race.”

Despite all this, Marski has not let his success go to his head, as he cites his teammates and coaches as the reason behind his motivation: “My teammates and coaches are why I am capable of performing at this level. Doing the work that I do would not be possible at all if I were to do it myself. Though achieving my goal is what I am shooting for, the process to achieve that goal is why I do what I do.” Marski will be accompanied by fellow senior Kyle Bergin at the state championships.