Packed into a hot stadium, fans are on their feet, screaming so loud it’s deafening. Their attention is on the swimmers in the pool, each competing for their moment of glory. As the athletes finish to the wall, the noise peaks: the boy’s high school swim and dive team has done it again. Another record has fallen and a new name will be etched into Northview’s history.
The past few years have been historic for the Wildcat’s swimming. Since 2020, every swimming school record for the boys has been broken, and they’ve only continued to get faster. With the historic season comes the removal of an even more historic record– the 45-year-old records Alumni John Newton held in the 50 and 100 freestyle since 1975.
In his last year of high school, Newton was an All-American in swimming and committed to the Division 1 University of Tennesee. During his time there, he became a 13-time All-American for college athletics, and qualified and attended the 1979 Pan-American games, a prestigious competition for the best swimmers in the world. He placed third in the 100 freestyle and earned the title of champion for the 400 freestyle relay. Oh, and he qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1980, with almost a sure ride to the Olympic Games in Moscow.
However, the unforeseeable happened. The president at the time, Jimmy Carter, barred the United States from competing in the Olympics as a boycott due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Newton finished his swimming career in college, not given the opportunity to continue the sport at the Olympic level.
Newton swam for the Wildcats from 1971 to 1975, and his younger brother Robert swimming at the high school from 1974 to 1978. Since their time at Northview, the brothers kept a total of four records between them: John’s two, and two from Robert in the 200 and 500 freestyle, held since 1978 and 1977 respectively. Last season, all of these records were broken.
“I was glad because I knew it would happen eventually. I’m happy that I could hear about it,” John said. “It was going to happen, but it’s no big deal. It’s time for the records to be broken.”
The weekend of this year’s OK White conference meet, both Newtons were back in Grand Rapids for their induction into the Northview Athletic Hall of Fame. They got a chance to attend the competition, meet the current team and watch some of the preliminary races at East Grand Rapids before heading to the ceremony at the high school.
Senior and co-captain of the swim team Caleb Howe was one of the lucky swimmers who got the chance to be introduced to the Hall of Famers.
“It was really nice to finally meet them and see what they look like,” Caleb Howe said. “I just thought it was cool to be able to realize a big history part of the records [that were broken].”
Howe was one of the athletes who helped break the Newtons’ records. At the end of his senior season, he now has his name on the record board a total of eight times. He is listed on all three relays and currently holds the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, as well as the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke.
He’s held on to the 50 since last season with a time of 21.37, and lowered his 100 free by .85 seconds this year. At conferences, he broke the butterfly with a 50.44, and broke the backstroke record by .01 seconds, making the new time a 53.10.
This past weekend, Howe lowered current teammate junior Liam Sneller’s 200 record, who had broken Robert’s 200 record last season, by 4.58 seconds. In a last hurrah, he was also crowned individual state champion two times over, in the 100 and 200 freestyle at this year’s Division 2 State Championships at Eastern Michigan University.
“[It was] surprising,” Howe said. “I was really happy with the whole entire team. Individually, I was happy, but I was more excited and grateful to have everyone who went and have everyone who enjoyed it. I feel like we all got a lot closer.”
Sneller currently holds the school record in the 500 with a time of 4:39.51, and is also on the board for the 400 freestyle relay. As an upcoming senior, he has big goals for the team next year.
“Hopefully we can try to go for a trophy again. I think that if we can put in some work in the offseason we can get it done,” Sneller said. “I think our team performance was pretty good. I think we have a little bit of room for improvement in training during the off-season, but overall I’m happy with how we did.”
The Newton brothers know a thing or two about training in the offseason. During their high school years, they trained year-round, swimming in their backyard pool during the summer and rigorously practicing with homemade weight equipment their dad made for them out of cement-filled V8 cans and a pulley system.
It’s no wonder their times took so long to be broken.
“I think we’re a little surprised they held up this long because the suits got better and the rules got better,” John said. “Things move along as far as training, but I’m glad that someone has come along for the times. It’s great news to hear that, for the team and for the high school as well.”
Although he doesn’t plan on continuing his athletic career in the pool, Howe is grateful for all the moments he got to experience on the team.
“[This season] was a blast that went really quick,” Howe said. “I know everyone says that a lot, that it goes quick, but it really does. I hope that all the underclassmen are excited for their senior years too.”
John’s senior year was the only one where Robert swam on for the Wildcats at the same time as him. With a three-year difference, it was a special year for the brothers, especially for John.
“[My last] state meet was really the most memorable for me, winning the freestyle relay. We won that junior year and my brother was on the senior freestyle relay,” John said. “It was nice, winning the individual events, but I wanted to win the freestyle relay. That was the last event for my senior year at the University of Michigan pool and we did well.”
Overall, the general consensus was that swimming changed each of their lives for the better. Robert wholeheartedly agrees.
“It really is just a series of great experiences, and lots of stories,” Robert said. “I learned a lot of life lessons going through it that are still valuable today. How to work hard, how to attain goals, set goals and all that stuff. I think swimming was a big part of teaching me that.”
