Greenwood basked in the glory of its successful swim program on Wednesday afternoon as team captains Tanner Cummings and Avery Witcher signed to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level.
Cummings inked with the University of Louisville while Witcher signed with D-2 Bellarmine University in front of family, friends and teammates who had gathered at the Warren County Aquatics Center for the double signing.
“In my entire four years here they’ve wanted to swim college,” Greenwood coach Scott Gainey said. “They’ve always been looking forward to it. It’s been something that’s always been on their radar, and I’ve never doubted them since.”
Cummings going into the lofty ranks of Division I is quite an accomplishment given that just two percent of all high school swimmers reach that level, according to Greenwood athletic director Nick Lowe.
“It feels really good,” Cummings said. “Just to know all the hard work I’ve put in…to be that caliber of where athletes try to achieve is just amazing. It’s a testament to all the work that we’ve spent in this pool and all the hours that I’ve spent practicing over the years.”
Cummings went with the Cardinals because it was just the best overall fit for him.
“It was just above and all the best school that I went and visited,” Cummings said. “I just loved the campus, the team and everything that they’re trying to do. I think I’ll be the best there.”
Witcher chose to go with Bellarmine because it was the best fit for her athletic and academic career—choosing the Knights over Transylvania and Centre.
“It gave me a place to continue my athletics as well as a place where I could be successful in my academics,” Witcher said.
“I know personally that I need smaller classrooms to help me succeed. I knew that a smaller school would give me that opportunity: to have one-and-one relationships with my teachers and know my classmates so if I needed help I could go to one of them and be comfortable with it.”
Witcher and Cummings are moving onto the college ranks this fall, but neither will forget the impact that the Greenwood program had on them.
“The biggest thing (at Greenwood) is that I have had a team that I have just loved,” Witcher said. “They have pushed me to make it this far. I owe it all to them; I love my team.”
Gainey also emphasized the importance of the good leadership that the two have always demonstrated for Greenwood.
“The dedication, perseverance and determination that they’ve put forward not only represents moving onto the next level athletically for themselves, but it also helps personify their leadership as team captains for Greenwood High School,” Gainey said. “We want to think them for that.”
