The noise was loud outside in the pool as Henry Lynch took a step onto the podium to accept his rose and his third-place medal in the 100-meter butterfly. Tears begin to weld in his eyes as he takes in the moment and rejoices. He knows that this memory will be one of his favorites in swimming for quite some time. But, that was in high school.
Now, as a sophomore and a part of the Rowan Men’s Swimming team, Lynch has taken a moment as big as that one and turned it into more, as he has helped his team in many different contexts other than the 100-meter butterfly.
Lynch started swimming when he was three, at the Frog Hollow summer club in his hometown of South Amboy, New Jersey. His sister, Ava Lynch, was a big contributor to his love for the sport, as she was a big swimmer herself.
“I owe all my swimming credibility to Ava, who got me into it, and probably the reason I’m still doing it today,” Lynch said.
Lynch takes pride in his craft and self-reflects almost every day to get as close to his goals as he can. Throughout the season, he feels as though he’s been doing really well, and knows that he’s been working a lot harder than last season.
“I feel like my work ethic has completely changed,” Lynch said. “Last year I was new, and I felt like I really didn’t have a say. Now that I have a year of experience, I feel like I can just take off with everything.”
In addition to a better diet, Lynch has started to train much harder than he did last season. Kicking and footwork have also been a main focus, not just in the mind of the determined swimmer, but the team as well.
Lynch noticed that his upper body triumphs over his lower body when he’s swimming, so he’s making it his mission to find a way to focus on his lower half when he’s fatigued at the end of races.
Head Coach Brad Bowser has been another positive motivator for Lynch on his path to greatness, as he gives him extra pointers to help get him to his goal.
“Brad’s really been pushing me a lot harder this year,” Lynch said. “And it’s getting me that extra inch.”
During the week, Lynch uses his disciplined mentality to prepare for whoever is next on the calendar for the Profs.
“I’ll think about it every day…make sure I’m eating right…stretching,” Lynch said. “Stretching is huge because you want to feel good during the day.”
With plenty of seasons left, Lynch is looking to complete three major goals: shave at least two seconds off his 100-meter butterfly time, take the two-medley relay all the way to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championships, and beat TCNJ.
“This team will surprise people, and I feel like we’re only getting better and better,” Lynch said.
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