Name: Braxton Bokos
Year: senior
Hometown: Oak Brook
When did you first start swimming?
Competitively I started swimming around 6 or 7 at the Oak Brook Stars. My parents come from a heavy swimming background, so they had me in the water from two weeks out of the womb.
What do you enjoy most about the sport?
I enjoy the team bonding you get through the sport. I come from a triathlon background as well, and the one thing I enjoy most about swimming is you have a lot of teammates who rely on you and you rely on others as well.
What is your favorite event?
The 500 is my favorite event. During the high school season, it's the longest event you can swim. During club, I swim a lot of the mile and the 1,000, so it seems more like a sprint.
What is your most challenging event?
I'd say the 1,000, because it's in between that 500 and the mile.
What is your goal for the season?
As a varsity captain, my goal is to have a strong team finish overall and be a finalist in the 500.
How is it competing in the new pool?
It's nice that I got to swim at least once through this pool. There are some parts that I do miss from the old pool, having that legacy feeling of looking up at the record board and seeing team records that were 60 years old.
You compete nine months a year in triathlons. How is that going?
This past year, I was able to win the national title for the mixed team (four members) relay. I also won the national title for the points ranking for the 17-18 age group.
What are your plans for next year?
I'm going to be attending Queens University of Charlotte. I'm going to be doing triathlons.
Why does coach Bob Barber like having Bokos on the team?
Braxton is an animal when it comes to training. No matter what we throw at him, he always seems to want more. He is the most considerate person I know and is always finding ways to encourage his teammates. His true passion lies with triathlons, so we are very fortunate to have him as a four-year varsity athlete with the program.
- profile by Pamela Lannom, photo by Jim Slonoff
