Thursday morning at Batesville High School was a big day for Nathan Hernandez, Trey Moody and Katy Moody.
All three senior swimmers from Batesville High School officially signed with Ouachita Baptist University.
“I went to their campus and their swim coach was very inviting,” said Hernandez. “I felt like it was a good fit for me.”
Hernandez is a four-time state high school swimming champion. He set a state record in the 100m backstroke. He was part of a Pioneer relay that set a state record in the 4x50m event and won the 4×50 freestyle state twice. Hernandez also has titles in the 100 fly and 100 back.
“It’s a grueling sport,” he said. “You have to grind to get to where you need to be. It’s hard work, but a lot of fun.”
Hernandez has been swimming at a competitive level since he was 12, but began training in the pool with his father and coach Alfredo Aleman.
He’s a good guy and I’m glad he’s part of the Batesville swim program, “said Aleman.” He’s a guy who thinks of his teammates. He works hard and pushes them to be better. “
Hernandez and his family moved to Batesville from New Mexico four years ago.
“My dad has been training me for a long time and he wanted me to try swimming competitively,” said Hernandez. “And I turned out to be pretty good. All together though, it was a fantastic experience.”
Hernandez is a source of inspiration for the team.
“It inspires and motivates those guys and that’s why we’ve been able to do so well as a team,” said Aleman. “It’s not just him as an individual, he was able to lead the team and help those guys do well.”
Hernandez’s senior teammate for the Pioneers is Trey Moody.
Moody is from Batesville and has been swimming since the Pioneers were at North Complex, Lyon College and now their home is the Batesville Community Center. He too chose to go to the OBU.
“Ouachita is great is a great school,” Moody said. “It is close to the Ouachita River and the pool facility is fantastic. It was a great experience to visit.”
Moody’s strength as a swimmer comes as a 100-meter freestyle sprinter.
“I do butterfly and relay, but I will try to break the record set by Seth Bailey who is now swimming in Tennessee,” Moody said. “I’m just going to push for it. I’ve been to three state meetings and as a sophomore, we won it as a team.”
Last year, individually, Moody was second in the 100 freestyle, but broke the 50 second barrier by one second. He was stunned by a second in the championship match.
“Breaking 50 was a big deal,” Moody said. “I think this year’s team will be fantastic.”
Aleman says Moody and Hernandez have raised the bar for the rest of the team.
“Trey Moody and Nathan carried their team on their backs,” said Aleman. “Those two sacrificed themselves and came forward.”
Trey’s twin sister Kate Moody has also signed up to dive into the OBU.
“I’ve been diving at the OBU after swimming for the past 11 years,” he said. “I’ve been part of the high school team since I was in sixth grade and this year I’ll start diving.”
Moody has been working on her dives and has a current front flip she’s mastering, as well as a few more dives to earn points for the Lady Pioneers during rallies.
“I’ve also been a cheerleader since I was in seventh grade and they (the OBU coaches) thought it would help me with diving too,” added Moody.
“I was the only girl on the program my freshman year, so it’s grown a bit since then.”
Moody’s strongest event is the backstroke and he trains up to 10 hours a week to develop his speed.
“And on top of that, I ran cross country running,” he said. “Trey and I are twins and have been doing all sports together since we were six. We encourage each other and are both excited to go to the OBU.”
Aleman says Moody is a young woman who works very hard in her sport.
“He urges everyone and motivates them,” said Aleman. “She is an excellent swimmer. She is a well-rounded swimmer and has a good back in the individual 200m medley.”
SWIMMING IN BATESVILLE STARTS TODAY
Today at the Batesville Community Center, the Batesville Pioneers and Lady Pioneers swim teams will start their season at 10am
Khang Nyugen, the assistant swim coach for Batesville expects a challenge in the team’s first meeting.
“This swim team is really great,” he said. “We have a good group of seniors. The boys were runners-up, won a state championship and finished third. They’ve won the conference pretty much every year and for the girls, Kate is the only one we had four years ago. We now have seven to ten girls to continue the program. I’m proud of Kate for what she did and proud of Nathan and Trey for what they did. Those three right there set the stage for us. “
This year’s pioneers are Ethan Insell, Brayden Paul, Dewey Rodgers, Jackson Insell, Sam Knott, Ethan Byler, Blake Plotz, Luke Brissey, Daniel Latus, Reece Looney, Tristan Wells, Hernandez, Moody, Keegan Sudol and Shayne Coffee. The Lady Pioneers are Parker Coggins, Penelope Nelms, Kendall Box, Kate Gunter, Karmen Richardson, Kate Moody and Sarah Shaw.
“When I got here, the swim team had just been appointed,” Nyugen said. “When we started winning, people started noticing it. This has brought more guys to participate in the program and gives us depth. We have high expectations for the state championships as a team. I’m just excited about what lies ahead.”
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