Few people have ever met a talking fish. Perhaps one or two lucky characters
in fairy tales, maybe a bass fisherman with a little much to drink, but other
than that, no one has had the privilege. At CHS, we have a talking fish. His
name is Sam Matson, and if his state qualifying times in the fifty and one hundred
meter freestyle are any indication, Matson is obviously more at home in the
water than on land.
“ I just love to swim,” says Matson. “Although the early morning
practices are very difficult to make sometimes, I still enjoy it.” Matson’s
times in the two distances mentioned earlier are 24.37 seconds and 56.8 seconds,
respectively. That’s quite impressive, considering it takes me about twice
that long to slowly lower myself into the freezing water.
When asked about the roots of his success, Matson jokingly stated: “I
think my success comes mainly from the fact that my parents are dolphins, which
most likely also explains my dislike for tuna!”
The Cookeville team doesn’t have just one star. Jenna Stubbs and Brandon
Pruett have qualified for state as well, and more are expected to follow. “Our
team will gradually improve and become very competitive as the year goes on,”
says Matson.
Being the never serious character that he is, Matson chose to leave the readers
with a word of wisdom that he feels best describes his team: “As it says
in an ancient Chinese proverb, even the tallest buildings start from the ground.”
Hopefully with the leadership of Matson and others, the Cookeville swim team
can build a legacy of excellent athletes.
This page was created for web by: Melanie Jones
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