Haverford School’s Zack Oswald is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week (Feb. 24 – March 2)

By Bruce Adams

The senior swimmer was named Boys Swimmer of the Meet at the recent Easterns Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships at Franklin & Marshall College, winning the 100 yard backstroke for the second year in a row while setting a pool and meet record. Last year, his record time was 46.80; this time it was 46.38. Oswald, who will swim for Notre Dame University next winter, is the first Haverford School swimmer to win the Easterns Boys Swimmer of the Meet Award. Out of the pool, Oswald has participated in the Academic Mentorship Program at Haverford School, tutoring middle school students.

Q: What did it mean to you to be named the Boys Swimmer of the Meet at Easterns?

A: Being named swimmer of the meet felt surreal to me. When they announced that I had won I was completely shocked but also incredibly excited because I wanted to make my last Easterns a special one and this award capped off a truly great high school career. I was the first swimmer from Haverford to win this award and looking back on the previous winners, it puts me in some pretty elite company.

Q: What is your strongest memory of the 100 back race? What was the key to your performance that day?

A: The only thing I remember from the race was pushing off the final wall and using all the strength I had left in my legs to kick underwater to 15 meters. In a short race like that I mostly blacked out and can’t remember anything except the final push towards the finish. One thing that helped me lower my record and take home the win was my back half speed and endurance. I felt much more confident in the second half of my race than last year.

Q: What aspect of your swimming have you worked on most recently?

A: One of the things I have been working on this year is my versatility across all of the strokes. I was able to see significant improvement in all four of the 100s this year. Additionally I have continued to work on the speed and tempo of my underwaters with the goal of implementing them more in my 200 races.

Q: What swimming accomplishment outside of Haverford School are you most proud of?

A: I am most proud of A finaling at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships this past December. Although the meet was not perfect, I was still able to earn my spot in the top eight in both 100 and 200 backstroke, allowing me to race among the top backstrokers in the country. I also have the goal of finishing in the top two in an event at this spring’s NCSA’s and qualifying for a meet in London, which would hopefully be my first international competition.

Q: You mentioned that one of your favorite feelings is to get your hand on the wall first after a tight battle at the end of a race. At what age did you start competitive swimming, and where?

A: I started swimming when I was 5 years old in Connecticut at the local YMCA. My older sister Ryane began swimming before me and got our family into it. I started swimming year-round when I was 7 and ever since then I have been completely engulfed in everything swimming.

Q: What is your favorite swimming venue and why?

A: I enjoy swimming at IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis. It is one of the few pools in the country with two indoor long course pools as well as a complete diving well. I also swim well at Franklin and Marshall College, making it one of my favorite pools. Although it is not as big and new as IUPUI it is still a great pool to race in.

Q: You once mentioned that Michael Phelps has been one of your role models both in and out of the pool – can you expand a little on this, tell us why you particularly admire him?

A: Michael Phelps revolutionized the sport of swimming. He is probably the only swimmer in the world that is known by everybody. Not only is he one of the greatest athletes of all time, he struggled with mental health during his career. It shocked me when he opened up about this and shows that even the best in the world are human.

Q: Can you walk us through a typical day, or cycle, of training?

A: Unlike most swimmers I only practice once a day in the afternoon or night. I reserve the mornings to make sure I get a good amount of sleep allowing my body to recover. I will usually lift twice a week and have six practice sessions. At a typical practice we will usually do anywhere between 5,500 and 7,500 yards that consists of technique work, speed work, and endurance training.

Q: What is your favorite academic course at Haverford School? What do you plan on majoring in at Notre Dame? Is there a career path that particularly appeals to you at the present time?

A: Some of my favorite classes at Haverford have been history classes or finance classes. I particularly enjoy History of Sport which allows me to combine two of my favorite topics which are sports and history. Global Financial Markets and Investments was also one of my favorite classes because it covered an extensive amount of content about finance. This will be a great precursor to my major at Notre Dame, where I will be studying at the Mendoza College of Business.

Q: What has been the most important thing you have learned as a middle school tutor?

A: One of the most valuable things I learned from my time as a tutor was being a role model for younger students. Especially as I transition to college, being able to be responsible and a good role model is extremely important.

Fun facts – Zack Oswald

Favorite book: Into Thin Air.

Favorite TV show: Peaky Blinders.

Favorite movie: Interstellar.

Favorite athlete: Jeremiyah Love, Tom Brady, Drake Maye.

Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: All of the Lights by Kanye West.

Favorite team: Notre Dame football.

Favorite place to visit: Pleasant Park or Wawa.

Favorite pre-meet meal: Any type of pasta.

Person I most admire, and why: “My parents, because they are my biggest supporters and they always believe in me.”

Family members: parents Matt and Hollie, older sister Ryane, twin sister Delaney, and chocolate labradoodle Hudson.

(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)