By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Galion’s all-star swimmer Sam DeNero will be continuing his aquatic pursuits and his education at Wright State University. DeNero signed his letter of intent surrounded by family members and his swim team Tuesday morning.
“It’s really important to me because it’s really what I want to do,” DeNero said on continuing his swimming career in Dayton. “I’m good at it and it keeps me focused. I’ve always loved the water.”
There is one major thing DeNero hopes to accomplish with his swimming career at the collegiate level: improvement.
“Always improvement and beating my best time. Getting the 20 (seconds) that I didn’t get at state. Just always improving,” DeNero said.
DeNero already feels at home at Wright State.
“I visited a lot of other colleges and they were like a new college: newer dorms and stuff like that. The coaches were really nice. Their pool is similar to mine,” DeNero said. “I like it. It’s kind of homey at the same time.”
“I think it’s great,” said Galion swim coach Ted Temple. “I knew he had a talent and I think he’s going to like the university . . . I think it’s going to fit him really good.”
DeNero’s high school coach has a lot of faith in him as he moves on to the collegiate level.
“He’s got the sprinting ability and with weight training and the college-level training, it’ll work,” Temple said. “I think he’s a great sprinter but they may up putting him in the 500; I don’t know. But I think he will be a great college swimmer.”
DeNero had been an important part of Temple’s swim program over the last four years, making it to the state competition numerous times and acting as a leader within the program.
“A couple times this year I’d just put him in the IM, backstroke. He’s so versatile but sprinting is his thing and I knew if we’d have more pool time – things you have to have in that situation – he did really well for what he has.
“To a program like this?” Temple asked. “You can’t count the things that are going on with the seniors these past years. He’s one of those guys that really led this team well.”
“When he first came here, he looked at me level,” Temple said, holding his hand level with his eyes. DeNero, who had been standing nearby grinned, as his high school swim coach talked about his transformation. “Now I got to look up at him.”
“He came and I looked at him and said, ‘he’s going to be a great sprinter,’” Temple recounted. “He was already a good sprinter. I think his first year low 23 (seconds) was his best. Course then he progressed and by the time he was a sophomore he went into the high 21s.”
This year, DeNero had shaved even more milliseconds off his time, recording 21.20 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle final this year at the OHSAA state meet. His time snagged him third-place in the event.
“He’s been a great person to coach and he’s been also a great person to help others on the team,” Temple said. “These small programs like this need someone like him to help lead the season.”
“It’s going to be awesome,” DeNero’s father, Doug, said. “He deserves it; he worked hard for it. I’m excited to go see him (swim). He put a lot of work into to get where he’s at and we couldn’t be more proud.”
The DeNero’s know it will be a long drive to watch their son swim at Wright State but they are willing to put in the time to see him continue his swimming career, though Doug and Andrea added that they would have to work Sam’s swim schedule in with his sister’s. DeNero’s sister, Allison, is currently a freshman at Galion and is following in her brother’s aquatic footsteps.
The parents gave credit to Mary and Ted Temple for coaching DeNero throughout his childhood and his high school career.
DeNero said he loves that he gets the chance to continue what he’s always loved doing: swimming. He plans on studying healthcare while at Wright State University.