Daniel Smith '22 Recruiting Profile

I have been swimming for 10 years and have worn through 2 coaches. I've gone from the swimmer who couldn't stay in one lane to the top swimmer and Team Captain.  I live in the small rural town of Elko, NV, located 3 hours from the nearest city, requiring us to drive a minimum of 4 hours per swim meet.  This didn't stop me from competing at 15-20 meets a year.

Our pool is quite old and ill. The past 3 years have been littered with multi-month shutdowns, with the most recent events (covid/Maintainance) keeping me out of the water from March 2020 - January 2021.  At the January mark, the pool would be confirmed closed for multiple more months. I had to make some tough decisions. 

My high school was distance learning, which allowed me to start looking for another team to temporarily practice with. I chose the best team in Boise, Idaho, hoping to regain my lost strength and ability.  In Boise, I swam and finished junior year, maintaining a 4.0, through a different time zone, living on my own, while my family remained in Elko. 

In the 5 short months of limited practice time, I was able to regain the bulk of what I lost. My first championship meet in over 18 months was this summer's  Wester Zones in Clovis California. I was able to show significant improvement in the majority of my events, leaving lots for the future.

I am interested in the creative areas of sciences, such as Video Game Design, Material Science, BioEngineering, etc. I am excited to find colleges that offer these fields as well as the opportunity to grow my swimming career.