On Feb. 20 at the WVSSAC State Swimming Championship, sophomore Levi Morr made Parkersburg swim history, setting the state record for the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:36.36. The state 500 free record was previously held by Travis Green from South Charleston, set in 2007 with a time of 4:36.90.  

“It feels really good to have set this record and I’m just so grateful for a team that helps me and makes me feel accomplished,” Morr said. “This record shows that big dreams can come true.”

On a typical week, Morr’s training consists of six practices, two and a half hours through the week and two hours on Sundays. Training consists of a series of workouts, stretching and aerobic threshold workouts where swimmers go longer distances in practice with less rest in between to build endurance. Morr also practices individual medley training, which consists of a series of all four stroke styles in a series of lengths. Morr also tested his sprints, noticing his paces became faster than the year prior. He knew that working harder in practice would pay off when he was in a race.

“The hardest part about the record was the mental part. I had already put in the work at practice; now, I just had to swim my race,” Morr said. “As the race got harder and harder, I pushed more and more, trusting my training. With a record on the line, there was no backing down.”

During the state meet, Morr felt a wave of nerves. To overcome the anxiousness, he channeled those feelings into excitement. He trusted in his training and motivated himself with the thought of a record on the line. As he was swimming in that moment, he said he imagined the scoreboard with a record-breaking time, and it kept him pushing through. 

“I told myself that in the end, it would all be worth it, and I’ve trained for this,” Morr said. “I knew I had the ability to push myself, and I did.”

During his high school career, Morr’s goal is to keep lowering the 500 state record while also breaking more school and state records. After graduation, Morr plans to take swimming into the college level. He is hoping to see himself with a good team and program that can prepare him for life past college. 

“I’m so honored to represent PHS and hopefully give it a good name for as long as I swim here,” Morr said.