When Colin Flynn looks back on his four years with the Sehome boys’ swimming program, his favorite memory will have nothing to do with being in a pool. No water, no chlorine and no swim goggles, either.
“One of the first things I think of is Don (Helling, the Mariners’ swimming coach) sitting in a restaurant after the state meet trying to balance a cupcake and a balloon,” Flynn said. “His birthday is always right around the state meet, and we always go somewhere and get the waitresses to sing to him.
“It reminds me what swimming is all about. It is balancing the fun and the serious. There are times you have to be pretty serious, but there’s also a lot of fun.”
So how will Colin Flynn be remembered?
At least for the past three years, he’ll be thought of as the best boys’ swimmer in Whatcom County.
Flynn was selected The Bellingham Herald’s Boys’ All-Whatcom County Swimmer of the Year for the third straight year. He joins Squalicum girls’ cross country runner Bronwyn Crossman as the only three-time winners of the award in one sport.
First-year Lynden boys’ swim coach Steve Gibb, who helped the Lions program start a turnaround this season, was selected the Coach of the Year.
In addition to being remembered as one of the county’s best, Flynn was also one of the fastest Mariners ever. He owns the second-fastest time in school history in the 50-yard freestyle and the third-best mark in the 100 freestyle — the speed events in swimming. The only Sehome swimmers to go faster were Ben Johnson and Matt Allen, who was an individual state champion.
Flynn had his share of success at the state meet as well, finishing fourth in February’s Class 3A/2A 50 freestyle state final with a time 21.90 seconds and sixth in the 100 freestyle in 48.14 seconds. He finished tied for third in the 50 and fifth in the 100 one year earlier, won Northwest District titles in both events and was a valuable part of six Mariners relay teams that swam in the state final the past three seasons.
Not bad for a swimmer who admits he was a bit intimidated at the state meet his freshman year, when he finished last (24th) in the preliminaries of the 100 backstroke.
“I like to look back and see how far I have come,” Flynn said. “When I was a freshman, there was a little bit of fear going up against the best swimmers in the state. Then as a sophomore, I was at least competitive in both of my events. Then as a junior and a senior I made it to the finals.
“It’s kind of weird to think of yourself as one of the best in the state at anything, but I like to look back at how I progressed at state. It was a strange journey from lack of confidence or fear to the confidence I had as a junior and senior.”
Nobody had a better seat to watch that progression than Helling.
“He was part of a very talented group of swimmers that are going to be missed a lot,” Helling said, referring to a talented senior class that included fellow All-Whatcom County selections Brian Parine and Skyler Bax. “It’s going to be difficult to see them all go. He was the best of that group, which didn’t really have a star swimmer but worked so well together.”
Part of the reason they worked so well together, Flynn said, was because they knew when to be serious and when to have fun — such as after the state meet at their coach’s birthday party — and that helped them all become successful.
“We’ve been swimming together forever,” Flynn said. “Brian and I were looking back at it all after the state meet. We swam together for four years in high school and four years before that with the Bellingham Bay Swim Team. That’s more than eight years we’ve been together. It’s been neat to grow up with those guys and see who they turned out to be.”
Flynn, who is also a strong runner for the Sehome cross country and track teams, said he has not yet decided which school he will attend or if he will attempt to continue swimming in college, as he may choose to run or just focus on his studies instead.
That choice wouldn’t surprise Helling at all.
“He isn’t someone who is like a lot of the other top-end swimmers, who totally focus on swimming,” Helling said. “He’s an all-around athlete and a well-rounded individual.
“He’s the type of guy who’s constantly trying to get better at whatever it is he is trying to do. He’s got a great sense of humor and he knows when to use it. He’s been wonderful to coach the past four years, and I know we are all going to miss him next year.”