Champions of Tomorrow: Swimmers Gracyn Crough, Trey Rojas

CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE) – 11-year-old Gracyn Crough, and 12-year-old Trey Rojas are both naturals in the pool.

“I’m really competitive, so I usually just try to work as hard as I can,” says Rojas.

“I’ve just been doing it for so long, it’s like a hobby,” adds Crough.

They both are members of the Clovis Swim Club, and spend four-to-five days a week, about two hours each day, training to get better.

Gracyn has been one of the best swimmers in the United States, in her age group, the last couple years. She has competed in the Western Zones regional meet in Idaho, and most notably, has an age group win from the Southwest Regional meet as well.

“What sets her apart is just that want and will, you know, just put your head down, move your arms faster, kick harder, and get to the wall before everybody else does,” says Mark Bennett, the head coach at the Clovis Swim Club.

Gracyn started swimming when she was five. Trey when he was six.

He’s won multiple Junior Olympic and age group championship titles, and also competed in that prestigious Western Zones meet.

“He’s somebody who finds the joy in getting to the wall first, you know, he’s kind of all boy like that,” says Bennett.

Bennett says it’s almost impossible to project out whether swimmers this young could eventually challenge for a berth in the Olympics one day.

“Yeah, you’re thinking 15 years down the road. They might find different sports. They might find different strokes. They might not enjoy swimming any more, you never know,” says the coach, whose club had three swimmers qualify for the recent U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis.

But this much we do know.

The Olympic dream is something Gracyn and Trey are at least thinking about.

Crough would like to go to “Trials some day,” and when asked about possibly swimming in the Olympics, Trey had a simple answer.

“It’d be amazing!” said Rojas.

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