Madaris Anticipates Senior Season While Celebrating Past Accomplishments

Swimmer+Blake+Madaris+is+starting+his+senior+season+with+enthusiasm+as+the+team+enters+Division+II+and+he+continues+being+involved+in+many+other+groups+on+campus.

Photo provided by Blake Madaris

Swimmer Blake Madaris is starting his senior season with enthusiasm as the team enters Division II and he continues being involved in many other groups on campus.

Guest Contributor, Mikayla McCray

Blake Madaris, a senior on the E&H men’s swim team, shares what he has learned over the past four years as he gears up for his final season swimming with the Wasps.

With his last season approaching, Madaris says, “I am mostly excited about finishing my final season with the best times and seeing the team grow with the transition to Division II. I am excited to be a part of the beginning of this transition and cannot wait to see how my team will flourish in the years to come.”

Madaris began swimming at E&H after being recruited to swim backstroke and distance freestyle at E&H. In his years here, he has seen much success.

Madaris broke the E&H record in the 1,000 yard freestyle in the 2019-2020 season and is a member of four E&H record-holding relays in the 2018-2019 season. Madaris was also named ODAC athlete of the week on January 25, 2021.

“I am grateful for the opportunities I have had with swimming and cannot wait to see where this season leads,” he said.

The men’s swim team is having regular practices as they prepare for their first meet of the season on October 1st. Madaris said, “Practices are going well. We have found a good balance of working on technique and endurance training.”

Madaris is also proud of his non-swimming accomplishments during his years at Emory & Henry College.

“I am a brother of Beta Lambda Zeta, sweetheart of Kappa Phi Alpha, and president of the Greek Council,” Madaris said. “To balance all of this, I have developed a lot of time management skills and plan out activities far in advance. If I don’t do this, I will be behind on my work and not have time to get everything I need for other activities done.”

Madaris shared that he is ready to pass on his award-winning swim legacy, teaching new team members how to be successful.

“The team this year consists of mostly freshmen and our main goal as upperclassman is to make sure they adjust well to college life,” he said.