Athlete of the Week: 10 questions with Aiden Musick, New Trier swimming

Musick is a senior butterfly and freestyle swimmer for the Trevians. He was a state champion in the 100-yard fly as a junior and is committed to the University of Wisconsin.

1. Do you have any preswim or premeet rituals?

Nothing big premeet, but before every race, I’ll stretch out a lot. You ever see the Michael Phelps warmup? He swings his arms around. I do that one a lot.

2. Why is Wisconsin a good fit for you?

Honestly, it had everything I was looking for. It’s a good school, not too far away, not too close. They have a really good team, up and coming. I have a lot of confidence in my class especially. We have a lot of good recruits. And the coaches are all high-level coaches. I believe we can improve the team.

3. What is your dream job?

Probably a physical therapist or an athletic trainer. I’ve always been really into athletics and sports, how people move. That would be a good path for me. I’m not much of a math kind of guy, so I’m looking at the sciences.

4. If you could compete in another sport, what would it be?

Track, probably. I ran a little bit when I was younger. I was a pretty good miler. I’m pretty good at endurance sports and things where I can put my head down and work. That would be a great sport for me.

5. What do you love about swimming?

I love racing. In pretty much any sport, the work is never super fun, but with swimming, the races can be super personal. It’s just me in there. Even in relays, everyone has their work to do. I love the individuality and love how you can shine on your own. There is no question if you’re good or not. It’s a number. It’s time. I love having that clear marker.

6. What is your favorite thing to do outside of the pool?

Probably just spend time with my friends. I don’t have a ton of time in general outside of school and swimming. Every moment I can get with my friends outside of that is precious.

7. When did you realize you were a good swimmer?

I think I’ve known for most of high school that I was good but it really only clicked coming into junior year. I had a rocky summer … but my club season in the fall, I put my head down, grinded and just wanted to see how far I could get with swimming, my stroke. I made it to junior nationals. I didn’t final but did pretty well. Then I started talking to colleges seriously, doing the normal stuff. I was really excited to see how I was progressing when I worked hard.

8. If you are in Walgreens with a couple bucks, what are you buying?

I’m walking out with a mango Monster and that’s usually it. Maybe a pack of gum if I’m running out.

9. What is something people don’t know about you?

I try to be pretty open with people. I got three cats (Cleo, Henry and Luna). That’s a fun fact I guess.

10. You have the sectional and state remaining. What are your goals to finish the season?

I look at it this way, and our coach tells us sectionals and state is one three-section meet. You have prelims, semifinals and finals. I think this year we’re looking to win it all. It’s been six years since we last won a state championship and we’re ready, we’re hungry for it, we need it. This is the biggest senior class we’ve had in a long time. We have the talent and we’ve put in the work. It’s us and Hinsdale Central. We’ll see what happens.

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