With high school winter sports concluding their seasons, a new name is making waves throughout the South swim team. Former rower Oliver Ellefson ’27 has made a transition to the pool. Ellefson began swimming at a young age for his local park team, but stopped to pursue other sports. Coming back to swimming was a tough choice, but he believed it was the right decision.
After putting in hard work throughout the season, Ellefson had a chance to put it on display. The boys swim team competed in the Macomb Area Conference championship, where Ellefson dominated, finishing in the top 16 in both the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, helping South secure its 28th straight title. With his stellar performances, Ellefson, a first-year swimmer, took a spot on the state team and competed at Eastern Michigan University on March 13.
“I ultimately made the decision to switch to swimming because I was just so unhappy rowing for many reasons and needed a change of scenery,” Ellefson said. “The strength and athleticism I gained from rowing definitely helped and translated into swimming.”
Ellefson transitioned back to swimming, extremely motivated and goal-oriented. It took him a few months to finally get into the swing of things, but once there, he never looked back.
“At the start, it was definitely not easy, getting through practice was a struggle until about two months in, but you kinda get into a rhythm and then you’re locked,” Ellefson said. “I started to realize that I could be successful in swimming shortly after the Wayne County meet, it was the first cut meet I made and I just kept dropping time every meet.”
South’s head coach, John Fodell, loved the idea of Ellefson swimming from the moment he got in the pool. Fodell saw the dedication Ellefson brought to the team, setting an example for younger swimmers, despite having the same amount of experience as many of them.
“I think he’s consistent. When you’re consistent and do what you’re supposed to do, it pays off,” Fodell said. “A first-year swimmer that can rise and improve that much gives a lot of people hope that [they] can improve too.”
While the swim team heavily benefited from Ellefson’s joining, the rowing team lost a key piece of its success. Grady Deenik ’26, Ellefson’s old partner, was disappointed to see him go but is happy for his success as a swimmer.
“I was really sad to see him go; we were always a pretty good duo… he was the second fastest on the team,” Deenik said. “He was really dedicated and he was such a good guy to have around.”
