Staying relaxed while chasing big goals defined William Wright’s senior season in the pool for Carthage High School.

“My personal goals were to make the A final at the state meet and break school records,” Wright said.

Those goals were backed by a season built on support and shared commitment. Wright said the environment around the team played a major role in pushing him and his teammates forward. “The team morale was great. We all supported each other at practice and at meets,” he said. That encouragement showed up daily, especially as swimmers began challenging themselves in new ways.

“The biggest improvement I saw was watching some of my teammates want to get better and challenge themselves to get better,” Wright said.

As a group, Carthage set its sights on competing together on the biggest stage. Making a relay at the state meet became a defining objective.

“Some of our goals this year were to make a relay to the state level. We accomplished it by working hard and growing more as a team to swim faster,” Wright said.

Depth proved to be one of the team’s biggest advantages, allowing Carthage to score points across multiple events.

“The team’s biggest strength is the number of swimmers we have. We had a lot of guys who were able to score points in multiple events,” Wright said.

As a senior, Wright embraced a leadership role focused on example and accountability.

“The roles I played were teaching the new swimmers how to get better, being a role model and how to act at larger meets,” he said.

His preparation for competition starts with awareness and strategy, studying the field and understanding where he fits.

“I look at the times of my competitors and how I play into the meet. I look at where I need to be to break school records,” Wright said.

Physically, Wright relies on a focused taper before major meets.

“I prepare myself by ‘taper,’ which is a different form of training,” he said. “It is more of sprints and speed, but with way more rest and time to relax.”

When it is time to race, Wright keeps his mindset simple.

“My mindset is to just stay relaxed and just to remember to have fun,” he said.

Beyond results, Wright hopes his impact is felt in the relationships he built along the way.

“I find that my legacy is more than just records, but my character as a person,” Wright said.

One memory still stands out from the beginning of his career.

“My favorite memory in a Carthage uniform is going to state my freshman year,” he said.

Wright holds three school records at Carthage High School, placed fifth in the 50 freestyle and eighth in the 100-freestyle at the state meet, is involved in FFA and 4-H, and plans to attend Truman State University to continue his swimming career.