VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) – There isn’t much Dan Bannon hasn’t accomplished. Now a senior at Cox High School, the mid-distance freestyle swimmer has won every individual region championship he’s ever swim in. On top of that, he has a 4.5 grade point average, and is in the running for the school’s valedictorian.
This weekend, he’ll go for the one thing that’s eluded him…a state championship. “It’s going to be close. I’m ready to race,” said Bannon, who will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle at George Mason University on Saturday.
Whether or not he can claim the Class 6 title, it won’t be for a lack of effort. “It’s a grueling grind,” said his mother Theresa. “He’s diligent, he manages his time really well, he obviously gets up at 4:00 in the morning, and goes to swim practice. Then he swims in the morning before school, goes to school, and swims after school for three hours.”
Dan motivation, both in and out of the pool, comes from one acknowledgement. “There’s lots of people who are better than me,” he said. “I just want to reach higher.”
He may reach the ultimate this weekend.
