Carter Lancaster of The Bolles School has been named the 2022-2023 ITG Next Northeast Florida Male Swimmer of the Year.
Lancaster grew up in Indiana with his mother and stepfather. His mom put him in swimming classes, along with a few other sports, when he was young. As he grew, he knew swimming was the sport for him. In 2021 Lancaster moved to Jacksonville and enrolled at Bolles, where he lives in the on-campus dorms with his brother.
“It’s awesome; I love dorming here,” Carter says. “I live with other guys who also have been dorming here. We get roommates, and it’s great living with them and forming a connection with everyone.”
That strong bond over swimming helped motivate Lancaster to be a great friend and teammate. He helped lead his team to a victory at the Winter Juniors last year.
“That was a big accomplishment, not for me personally but just as a team, and being a part of that team and seeing the team grow and prosper in that way,” he said.
Lancaster finished second in both the 100 back and 200 individual medleys at the 2021 FHSAA 1A State Championships as just a sophomore last November. This year at the 2022 FHSAA 2A State Championships, Lancaster clocked in at 1:45.02 in the 200 individual medley to set a state record in the event.
Although swimming is his passion, he hasn’t lost sight of the goal, his education.
“I take a lot of time studying and making sure that I have good time management so I can get my schoolwork done,” he said. “I also make sure I have time for swimming because everything revolves around swimming for me. But I also must keep in mind that school is important, and I need that too.”
While swimming for Bolles is such a big part of Lancaster’s life, he’s careful to step away and make time for himself outside of that passion.
“I usually just hang out with guys on the team,” he said. “We play other sports like basketball and football. Right now, especially, the guys are into the World Cup and soccer, so we’ve all been watching that a lot. But mostly hanging out with the guys and building that connection.”
Although Lancaster is still young and doesn’t graduate until 2024, his plan for his future is crystal clear. Lancaster has decided to take his talents to the next level and will be swimming at the University of California-Berkeley.
“I took my visit early on,” he said. “On that trip, I was with a great group of other recruits, and just being with them showed me how close of a family the Cal team is and how amazing the coaching staff and the area of California is in general.”
This young man has a clear plan and isn’t going to let anything, or anyone, get in his way.
Congratulations to Carter Lancaster, the 2022-2023 ITG Next Northeast Florida Male Swimmer of the Year.
