Andrew Hebert '14 Recruiting Profile

Hello!

My name is Andrew Hebert and I am currently a senior at Lincoln High School in Lincoln, Rhode Island. 

I started swimming relatively later on in my life. I first decided that I wanted to swim competitively at the age of 12, feeling inspired by Michael Phelps' historic eight gold medals from that summer. During my 8th grade year, I got my start with the Penguins at the Boys and Girls club of Cumberland/Lincoln in Cumberland, Rhode Island. I fell in love with the sport from the moment I first dove into the water. For that first year I was coached by Tom DiIorio, who would also serve as my coach for all four of my years at Lincoln High School. 

My freshman year was more than anything a learning experience. We had just moved down from Division 1 to Division 2 and as a result we were able to establish a 5-2 dual meet record, going undefeated until the final two meets of the season. I narrowly missed qualifying for the state meet in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke. After failing to qualify my freshman year, I was more determined than ever to be a factor on my team, and qualify for the states my sophomore year.

My sophomore year I went back to swimming with the penguins as I narrowly missed qualifying for the state championships last year and I was determined to make it this time. This time, the Penguins were under new management with head coach Jerry Cummiskey taking the reigns. Sophomore year was another learning experience, but it was then I began to analyze my competition against the various teams we went up against. Due to the departure of our captain and the arrival of various new swimmers, our team became divided into many cliques and as a result we didn't bond as well. At my division championships I surprised everyone, myself included by placing 7th in the 500-yard freestyle, an event I only swam once at a dual meet during my freshman year.  I did qualify for the states in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events, but I barely managed a blip on the radar at the state meet, placing 57th in the 50 due to a poor flip turn, and 49th in the 100. The team established a 4-2 dual meet record that year, placed third at the division 2 championships, and 12th at the state meet. 

This past year we lost many of our key swimmers to graduation, and as the season went on we lost even more to injuries and academics. This made me want to work harder than ever to not only achieve my own personal goals, but to help carry our small team through the season. My work paid off, as I qualified for the state meet at the first dual meet of the season in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly, and I went a solid part of the dual meet season without losing a single race. I ended up taking 7th place in both of those events at the division meet, and the 200-free relay team I was a part of won a bronze medal. At the state meet I was a little dissapointed because I placed 24th in the IM and 22nd in the butterfly. As a team we had a very off year posting a 1-5 dual meet record, and very low finishes at the division and state meets. At the end of the year at the team banquet I earned the award for being the most spirited and having the most sportsmanship. I was also told that I would serve as captain of the team for my senior year, thus making one of my biggest goals throughout high school a reality.

I recently began training with the Envious swim club under Coaches Jeff Miksis and Marshall Muir, Practicing with them at least a few times a week while balancing my job as a lifeguard at the YMCA and my academics. 

My ultimate goal for my senior year is to be remembered as a great captain and a great swimmer, perhaps even better than the great Lincoln swimmers that came before me. A big part of being a great captain I feel is leading a team that not only respects their coach, but respects each other and their opponents. My sophomore and junior years of high school my team had many different cliques on the team and during my tenure as captain for my senior year, I'd like to have a more close-knit team. 

As far as competition goes, one of my main goals is to have a solid regular season and to claim all-division or possibly all-state honors in my individual events and relays during the post season. I think my big dream is to be remembered as one of the greatest swimmers in school history and to inspire the next generation to strive for their goals the same way I did.

I mainly want to swim in college simply because I love the sport more than anything and I love the thrill of racing. Therefore, whatever division or location I end up in is irrelevant as long as it's a good fit for me and offers majors in psychology or theatre. 

 It's also interesting that I would be the first swimmer from LHS to move onto the varsity college ranks since a pair of seniors from the class of 2010. In addition to swimming I ran on the cross country team for my first  three years, earning a varsity pin my junior year. I also ran middle-distance in outdoor track my freshman and sophomore years, and this past spring I decided to try lacrosse. I am also co-president of my school's drama club. Academically I had a solid freshman year, a not-so-stellar sophomore year, and am currently having a solid junior year with a 2.9 cumulative GPA. This past year I learned that my academics are just as important, if not more important than my swimming if I want to get into college. Therefore, I really began to get back on track with my studies this year and the results show with my improved grades from previous years.  After college I'd like to settle down in Lincoln as a psychiatrist while coaching swim on the side. 

I am a very strong believer in the idea that the harder I work, the better my results will be in both my swimming, and my academics, as a result, I'd like to believe that my teachers and coaches consider me to be a very hard worker.