“Everyone pees in the pool,” Kevin Poskin, varsity swimmer, said. “That’s just one of the things people who don’t swim don’t know.”

Poskin first joined the neighborhood swim team at age six because his sister swam on it.

“So my mom threw me in too,” Poskin said.

Poskin has swum all four years for MHS and nearly a decade for Rockwood Swim Club. He’s made the State cut every year, even as a freshman. He won Conference in two events both junior and sophomore years.

“I bounce around between events,”Poskin said. “But my favorite is the butterfly, because even though it’s not the fastest, it’s a very powerful stroke.”

Poskin said there were moments in his career when he wanted to quit.

“I hated swimming when I was young,” Poskin said. “And every swimmer at some point will be in the pool at 6 a.m. and wonder what he’s doing, but in the end it all pays off.”

Poskin plans on swimming after high school. He sees the Olympic Trials as a “doable cut” and is in contact with the University of Alabama, Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Missouri and University of Wiscosin-Milwaukee.

Fellow varsity swimmer, Nick Davis, senior, also will continue his swimming career into college. Currently, Davis is being recruited by University of Pennsylvania, North Carolina State, University of Missouri and University of Tennessee. Davis also has participated in the MHS and Rockwood club teams, although he did not swim for MHS last year in order to concentrate on club swimming and prepare for this year’s recruiting process.

“I’ve been swimming for so long I don’t think I can stop,” Davis said. “I hope to realize any potential, see what I can be.”

Davis learned to swim when he was 2 years old. Highlights of Davis’s swimming achievemets include placing third at state in the 500-yd freestyle as a sophomore with a time that also earned him a school record. Davis placed sixteenth in the 1500-meter freestyle at Winter Nationals in a national category that includes males from all age divisions, even post-graduate and first for the age division of 15-16 year olds in the 1000-yard freestyle.

“I would definitely want to make it to the Olympics,” Davis said. “But I don’t know how realistic that is because for long distance swimming events, they only take the top two for the American team.”

Poskin and Davis were part of an 800-yard freestyle relay team that placed eighth at Junior Nationals.

“It’s hard to hold conversations with friends like Nick since our heads are under water,” Poskin said.

Both Poskin’s and Davis’s favorite swimmer is Ryan Lochte. Before a swim meet, Poskin likes to listen to music while Davis likes to take a nap and drink a smoothie.

“Swimming is a very mental sport,” Davis said. “It requires a positive attitude and a lot of mental toughness. You’re racing against the clock.”

Poskin and Davis will carefully weigh their options before making college decisions.

“Besides facilities, I’d like to look at the school itself because you have to keep in mind you’re going to college for an education, not just for swimming,” Poskin said.

Davis will be looking at similar factors.

“I would like to see what the team chemistry is like, the campus, the practice areas, the dorms, the coaching staff, even take some classes,” Davis said.

Joe Schoedel, swimming coach, commented on Davis and Poskin.

“Davis has a lot of height and length, while Kevin is a good mix of technique and strength,” Schoedel said. “Both are incredibly tough mentally. They expect a lot from themselves as well as from each other. They practice year-round, six days a week, sometimes twice a day. It takes a lot of mental toughness to put in the time and laps they do.”

Schoedel said he respects each swimmer’s dedication and leadership abilities.

“They know they are the leaders of this team, and they try to lead by example,” Schoedel said. “They swim the most yards, ask for the hardest sets, and encourage not just each other, but the rest of their team to put their best effort out every day. They aren’t afraid to call out people who aren’t.”

Poskin and Davis agreed on the importance of swimming in their lives.

Both swimmers said, “I love the sport.”