Nobody can say that Emmaus senior swimmer Alex Magditch is not driven to succeed. The lanky sprinter has aimed to cut his best times down by a full second in each season and after doing that, has his sights set on an even loftier goal.

“I want to be up there,” said Magditch, pointing to the board displaying the school’s record holders in each swimming event. “The record up there right now for the 50 (freestyle) is :20.5 and right now, I am at a low 21, so hopefully, I should get there.”

Magditch sees names of former teammates like Luke Rautzhan on the board for holding the 100-yard freestyle record and draws inspiration from that. The two have remained friends, much like how Magditch has done with several former teammates.

It was Gio Germano who helped Magditch decide to attend Niagara University in the fall. Germano invited Magditch to visit him at school and after looking around, Magditch fell in love with the atmosphere and will major in business management while continuing his swimming career.

“Guys like Luke and Devin Metzger basically shaped me and helped me to train, so I can be what I am now,” said Magditch, who is passing on the knowledge to younger swimmers on the team. “They brought me in and showed me what it was to be a good teammate and helped to get me through the first few years.

“We have young guys like Logan Shriver, who is doing great in the 500 and getting closer to being under five (minutes), which is phenomenal.”

At the recent Cedar Crest Classic, Magditch finished third in the 50-yard freestyle and was part of the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams that both took second-place finishes. He was also on the 400-yard freestyle team that placed third in the Classic.

“I am very honest with my athletes, and I am tough on them,” said coach Tim O’Connor. “I am no tougher on anybody than I am on Alex. He’s a tall sprinter who loves his events and I demand just a little more from him because the talent is there.”

Early on, O’Connor stressed to Magditch that the key to being a good sprinter was to become good in the 200-yard freestyle.

While Magditch was not a big believer at first, he took to the idea and made himself into a quality swimmer in the 200 before truly focusing on the shorter distances. He has become so good that O’Connor would likely have him qualify for districts in the 200 if not for the fact that he is a senior and is even better in the 50 and 100 freestyle events.

“I want kids to be as driven as Alex is,” O’Connor said. “I tell them that at one point, those kids on that board were looking at another person’s name up there and aiming to replace them. We have a long legacy here at Emmaus and it means something to be a part of that board and to have carved out your spot in the history of the program.

Junior Andrew Taylor, who was on the 200 freestyle relay team with Magditch, was also a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay squad that finished third at the Classic. He also added an individual second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle. Ryan DeJohn picked up a third-place spot in the 100-yard freestyle and James Manley was third in the 500-yard freestyle at the event.

Emmaus swimmers have one final shot at gaining a spot in districts when they will compete in the Last Chance Meet on February 25. One week later, the District 11 championships will be held at Parkland High School and the PIAA championships return to Bucknell University in mid-March.