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- Captain Neal Sarin ’18 swims the breaststroke in a meet against Kingswood-Oxford.

Neal Sarin: Speedy Swimmer

Evan Gerritz ’20

Neal Sarin ’18 is one of the captains of Hopkins Boys Varsity Swim Team this year, but his success wasn’t always a guarantee.

In the summer after his freshman year, Sarin was biking in New Haven when he was hit by a car, breaking his femur and hip and giving him a large gash near his collarbone. Despite these injuries, Sarin returned to swimming his sophomore year.

For fellow captain Evan Schott ’18, Sarin’s injury showed his growth as a swimmer: “Neal has overcome many obstacles in his swimming career; [his injury] did not stop him from continuing to get faster in the pool.”

A ferce competitor, Sarin is one of the team’s best breaststrokers. Sprinter Julius Herzog ’20 said, “Neal’s breaststroke has developed over the years. He’s very good at stretching [his stroke] out and being very effcient with his strokes.” Last year, Sarin’s relay team broke the school record for the 200 meter medley relay.

Sarin’s leadership capabilities are another valuable asset for the team. Head Coach Chuck Elrick described Sarin saying, “(Sarin’s) experience has helped him in the long run in showing some of the younger

swimmers what is necessary to succeed in the sport.”

Sid Lewis-Hayre ’18 also commented: “Neal leads with a relaxed but commanding demeanor.” Kristina Yarovinsky ’18, a captain of the Girls Varsity Swim Team, said, “Neal’s personality really contributes to the team environment. He’s always making jokes and is a great teammate.”

Elrick refected on how much Sarin has changed over his swimming career: “He’s grown in attitude and the way he presents himself to the rest of the team and to other teams--the general level of maturity, individually, and as an athlete. We’ve seen that change over the past couple years and it’s nice to see that he’s now ready for that next level.”

Both Elrick and Sarin hope to win the Bud Erich Championships and to improve the team’s place at the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Division One Championships in March.

Sarin does not plan to swim competitively after high school, but he hopes to continue swimming as a hobby or join a club water polo team in college.

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The Razor's Edge reflects the opinion of 4/5 of the editorial board and will not be signed. The Razor welcomes letters to the editor but reserves the right to decide which letters to publish, and to edit letters for space reasons. Unsigned letters will not be published, but names may be withheld on request. Letters are subject to the same libel laws as articles. The views expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the editorial board.

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986 Forest Road
New Haven, Connecticut 06515
(203) 397-1001