'We're like family': Five Hopewell seniors cherishing time left together in the pool

HOPEWELL — For five friends, the story is quite simple. It all started with each other and a youth swimming club.

David Bibbee, Patrick Blosnick, Maison Kezcmer, Madison Krah and Kian McIlvain have been swimming teammates and friends for about 12 years. The five swimmers are all seniors at Hopewell Area High School and are wrapping up their regular season meets and preparing for WPIALs.

All of them started at a young age. Eventually, after some time swimming in the summer at Treehaven and Clearview, they all became teammates at the Hopewell Area Aqua Club (HAAC). They all have different pinpoints to how they started swimming, though. Blosnick was injured in other sports and decided to switch to swimming. Krah and McIlvain basically grew up together with their mom’s being friends. Bibbee was introduced by his sister and Kezcmer by her father.

However, despite their introductions varying, the five have stuck together for the last 12 years and have grown up together – in and out of the pool.

“They have a really obvious, special bond,” Hopewell swimming coach Kathi Lopez said. “They have their own lane. There is one sophomore who is allowed in the lane. They pretty much do everything together and cheer the team together. Everyone, not just I, recognizes the bond that they share and the positivity that it brings the team.”

Lopez said that she has some talented swimmers coming up after the five seniors depart, but no one can match the closeness that her seniors have.

“We’ve been making fun memories with all of us as a group. We’re so close; we’re like family,” Kezcmer said. “Making memories on the bus going to meets and at practice. We’ve been there to support each other and encourage one another to improve every year.”

“We all just try to make the best every moment we get,” Bibbee said.

Recently, the group just celebrated their senior night. The pool area was decorated and the seniors all reminisced about their HAAC swimming days with a senior slideshow.

“Seeing the pictures of all of us when we were so young and swimming together, and just hanging out, it was almost like you forgot about it,” Krah said. “It was sad, though, to know that it’s soon coming to an end.”

Blosnick, the boys’ swim captain, said that it brought back memories of how far all the swimmers have come from youth to a high school varsity career.

“It’s cool to see how we all started – some of us not even really knowing how to swim – and then moving to the aqua club,” Blosnick said. “It’s fun to see how we’ve grown together and individually and seeing what paths we’re choosing in life.”

With senior night over, though, the five are focusing on their trip to the WPIAL Tournament, which will be at the University of Pittsburgh on March 2-3.

Kezcmer has made the WPIAL competition all four years, and will be swimming in the girls’ 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 200 Medley Relay and the 200 Freestyle Relay. McIlvain qualified for the boys’ relays, along with the 50 Freestyle and 100 Butterfly events. Blosnick will also be making the trip, hoping to get selected for the 50 Freestyle, but automatically qualifying for the 100 Freestyle. He will be joining McIlvain in the two relays.

Blosnick said that, while he wants to compete hard, he said WPIALs will be more relaxed for the seniors this year.

“I don’t have to try to get the times down for next year. There’s no next year,” Blosnick said. “I want to see how well I can get my times down. The record hasn’t been changed since the 1980s, so I want to see if I can get there.”

Meanwhile, McIlvain said he wants to move up the leaderboard in his competitions.

“I am sitting lower on the list than I’d like to be, so I want to push and get a better time, and get my overall personal record,” he said. “I want to do well, because I’ve been working hard this season, so I want to see the results match that.”

Kezcmer agreed. “I want to better my times and improve overall. Getting toward the top of the chart is on my list,” she said.

Lopez said she doesn’t have to coach her senior group too much, but she wants to help them in any way to get best times and potentially move on to the PIAA Tournament.

“I am hoping to see best times from them,” Lopez said. “I’m hoping to get out to States this year. I think we have a good shot, especially with that boys’ 200 Freestyle relay, and I think Kian has a good shot to get out there with his 100 Butterfly.”

Lopez also said she’s going to rely on her captains – Kezcmer and Blosnick – to help encourage all the swimmers for a long, grueling two days of swimming.

“These two had pretty good speeches [when running for captain] and the speeches were highly motivating, so that’s why the team chose them,” Lopez explained. “They have great leadership qualities, and they give advice every meet. Their attitudes are always positive and they’re always striving for best times and encouraging everyone to support each other.”

Whether or not the team makes the PIAA Tournament is in their hands, but the five seniors are sad to see their season coming to its end. However, they’re grateful to their coaches, fellow swimmers and each other for making it a memorable experience.

“We’ve always had a close, tight friendship,” McIlvain said. “Swimming is a personal sport. We don’t rely on each other to have good swims. We go at our own pace, and we have our own way we swim, but we all back each other and support each other.”

In the pool and outside of the pool, and even as they go through college and trade schools separate from each other, all five swimmers said they will keep their close bond throughout their whole lives.

“We always enjoy our time together,” McIlvain said. “We’ve been best friends, not just in school, but also outside of school hanging out.”

“It’s just fun to be with everyone, even when we’re not swimming,” Krah said.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: 'We're like family': Five Hopewell seniors cherishing time left together in the pool