Davis takes on task of keeping Saints' swimming program afloat

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 26, 2013 1:47 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- Southern Wayne alum Chad Davis looked forward to coming back to Goldsboro and watching his former teammates compete this season.

He almost didn't get the chance.

School administrators had difficulty finding coaches for swimming and wrestling, and opted to disband both programs. Davis couldn't stomach the idea of not seeing a red-capped Saints swimmer churning through the water at B.G. Darden Natatorium inside the Goldsboro Family Y.

"A few swimmers notified me that a coach had not been selected yet and time was running out," Davis said. "I felt like this was my chance to help out my alma mater, and the ones that I know love the sport of swimming just as much as I do.

"It was also my chance to get back around the environment I love and my chance to get back with the greatest swim family at the Goldsboro Y."

Davis talked with his dad, who offered his support. He emailed SW athletics director David Lee and principal Dr. John Boldt, and after a brief meeting, became the program's third head coach in the past four seasons.

O'Donnell retired after Davis' sophomore season. Jeremy Joyner guided the program during Davis' junior and senior campaigns before he accepted an assistant football coaching job at Princeton in August.

A freshman at Campbell University, Davis has taken on a challenging schedule that includes two practices and one meet a week, and his demanding courseload.

"This is definitely the hardest schedule I have ever had to work, whether being a student, swimmer or both," Davis said. "I can honestly say my days are non-stop, but I love every moment of it. I have had late nights and early mornings, but on the bright side, coaching serves as my best escape from the hassles of college."

Davis earned the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference male swimmer-of-the-year award as a junior and senior, and advanced to the N.C. High School Athletic Association state championship meet on several occasions. His strengths were in the middle-distance events and he was a strong performer on the relays.

His success in the pool was a tremendous selling point to a small handful of returning swimmers. Some new faces joined the team, and have also bought into Davis' promise that he plans to make each swimmer better and more competitive.

None groaned when Davis proposed Saturday morning practices.

"I love that I am able to swim and compete with the team at practices and believe they get a kick out of it as well," Davis said. "I like that this is a young team that knows we can get better. The best part is knowing that the team is not just swimming for fun, but also to compete."

The boy's 200-yard freestyle relay of Myles Davis, Cullen Grantham, Brandon Murray-Cruz and Austin Edgecomb posted a regional consideration time of 2 minutes, 4.79 seconds. Edgecomb has qualified for the regionals in two individual events -- 200 free (2:11.22) and 500 free (5:59.64).

Myles Davis logged a regional consideration, personal-best time of 2:25.79 in the 200 free.

Chloe Edwards swam a regional consideration time of 1:39.78 in the girls' 100 butterfly.

"We are a team that is eager to get better, and looking at (our) scoring, we are doing just that," said coach Davis, who has just one senior on the team. "We are learning who we are and what are best at (doing in the pool). We know what we need to work on and are working hard every practice to lower times.

"They get it done every day."