By Derrick Smith

Easton Crandall is a sophomore at Claremore High School, where he is a member of the swim team. He swims the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter breaststroke. He is also a member of the Oologah Stampede Swim Club.

Easton sees the water as a field of competition, where he is always trying to beat his own times. 

“In order to be the best swimmer I can be, it has taken a lot,” he said. “I have put in a lot of hard work at practice and I have also put in work outside of practice, too. You have to do the extra work in order to be your best.”

Claremore swim coach, Kimberly Ward, says that while Easton may be new to the sport, he has shown a lot of natural ability.

“Easton is a great kid with a lot of potential,” Ward said. “Swimming is a new sport for him. He swam his first meet ever at Oologah on November 18th, where he placed fifth in his 50-freestyle. I am excited to see where this new adventure takes him.”

As a swimmer, Crandall has someone that he looks up to and works his best to be like. 

“Michael Phelps would have to be my biggest role model,” he said. “He is the greatest swimmer of all time. The Olympic medals he has won during his career are proof that hard work and determination do pay off. That is something that I want to work for.”

Someone else that has made an impact on Easton’s life away from the pool is one of his teachers at Claremore. 

“My math teacher, Mr. Gash, would have to be my favorite teacher,” he said. “He taught me that if I work hard enough I can achieve many things.”