The Grosse Pointe South varsity boys’ swim team won its 28 consecutive Macomb Area Conference (MAC) red championship on Feb. 28, extending one of the most remarkable win streaks in Michigan high school athletics.
South’s victory was built on consistent scoring across events, rather than relying on a single dominant event. The team earned key points in both individual and relay events, helping separate themselves from the competition. This win did not come easy, head coach John Fodell had been training and preparing his team the past week leading up to the meet.
“It’s (the MAC meet) kind of the main focus of the year,” Fodell said. “More rest comes involved, sharpening the skills at practice and mentally preparing for this meet comes into play.”
One of the team’s swimmers, Brady Bond ’28, competed in multiple events and helped add valuable points to the teams total. Bond knew what to expect going into the meet and knew it was gonna take more than one person to come out victorious.
“The whole team knew this was not going to be an easy meet at all,” Bond said. “Everyone dropped a lot of time in their events, including me, and we really stepped up to win this.”
Going into the meet, the pressure was high, not just to win the championship, but to continue the team’s remarkable win streak. Star diver, Myles Meldrum ’26, admitted that the nerves were real.
“Coming in, I felt a little bit tense and also felt pretty nervous,” Meldrum said. “But once I went out and was ready to perform, everything went away and I knew that I could win.”
That shift from pre-race nerves to competitive focus was a common theme among swimmers. Reflecting on the atmosphere of the meet and the energy from teammates, Bond noted that the team’s culture fueled their performances.
“You could feel the energy pumping you up,” Bond said. “Everyone cheering you on makes you swim a lot faster and gives you a ton of confidence.”
While other years may have had more raw speed, this roster found a different way to win. It wasn’t about being the best in every event, but about the grit the team had.
“They all have talent, but there’s some spots that they aren’t quite as talented,” Fodell said. “It took the team, working as a whole to make sure they got the win.”
