For every successful sports program, there has to be a first. For Greene, who have ruled boys’ swimming in the Midstate Athletic Conference for half a decade and currently hold a 48-meet unbeaten streak, this particular first was a long time in coming.
George Flanagan, a senior on the Trojans, has sports, athletics, competition, and his future plans all in perspective. He also happens to be one of the standout performers among all Class C swimmers in Section IV. A returning Class C sectional champion, the tall, lanky Greene athlete finished his MAC career with another typical performance. Coming off a bad ankle sprain that limited his participation in meets for several weeks, Flanagan was back to his old self last weekend. He won two events, the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard breaststroke, was part of the winning 200-yard medley relay, and took part in the second-place 200-yard freestyle relay as Greene captured the MAC Championships by 33 points.
Even though many great athletes have graced the pool under the Greene banner over the past several years, Flanagan is our first Trojans swimmer on the boys’ team to earn our weekly honor as Evening Sun/Smith Ford LLC Athlete of the Week.
At 6-foot-5, Flanagan cuts an imposing figure as he steps on to the pool deck in preparation for a meet. Opponents may be intimidated, but Flanagan – whose approach to sports is different than most – finds the inner competition against himself more satisfying.
“Swimming is competitive, but in a different way,” Flanagan said. “With swimming, I can push myself to achieve my own goals, without working against other people.”
Greene’s longtime coach, Mike Platta, says that Flanagan is not your “rah-rah” type of senior leader. He sets an example with his business-like approach before meets, and is the consummate teammate in supporting the younger athletes on the squad. Platta also knows that while Flanagan loves swimming, it’s not his entire life. “He has certainly risen to become an elite swimmer and leader this year, but when he finishes here this season, he swimming career will be over,” Platta said. “He’s been accepted into Cornell’s pre-veterinarian program, and he wants to devote his time to his studies as opposed to athletics. I have a lot of respect for him. It would be easy for him to go to the next level and give 60 or 70 percent and go through the motions. That’s not the type of student or young man he is.”
Flanagan admits to disliking the entire competitive environment of team sports where the object is to beat the opponent. Even though he is in the pool with other swimmers during meets, he has the ability to zone in on his job, and set his own goals – a bar that he continues to raise.
