After working all season towards making state time for 100 Fly, senior J.B. Garfinkel qualified for the Missouri State Swimming Championships on  Nov. 6 at the Southwest Suburban Conference.
“I started swimming when I was eight,” Garfinkel said.
His motivation for joining the CHS swim team was to condition for another sport.
“I initially just wanted to stay in shape for water polo,” he said.
Garfinkel has been swimming at Clayton since he was a sophomore and he has played water- polo since he was a freshman. Garfinkel was also the captain of the swimming team this year. Garfinkel swam 100 Fly in 57.07 seconds, breaking the state qualifying team of 57.89 seconds.
Garfinkel attributes his success in swimming to lifting weights and working hard at practice.
“I got stronger and more determined,” Garfinkel said.
Garfinkel felt overjoyed when he learned that he had made state time.
“It felt really good that with all the years of swimming that I have done, it had resulted in something,” Garfinkel said.
Garfinkel swam at the Missouri State Swimming Championships Friday, November 13, being held at the St Peters REC-PLEX.
Garfinkel plans to continue to swim.
“I will definitely keep swimming to stay in shape,” Garfinkel said. “I might swim in college. I will always keep swimming.”