Junior Josh Bey played a key part in the boys’ swim team’s recent first-place finish at the Boys Illinois State Championship on Feb. 23, which was held at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Ill. Bey set the state record for the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. In 2025, he will continue his athletic career at the University of Indiana Bloomington.
Was swimming always your favorite sport growing up? Why or why not?
JB: I was a little heavier when I was growing up, so I was not very fast. And whenever I played football, they put me on the line, and I would always get benched when I played soccer. But then, in the pool, I just had a really good feel for the water. And I think that made me fall in love with this sport. And it is always been my favorite sport. It is cool.
What made you want to start swimming?
JB: I did not choose to start swimming, but my dad wanted to introduce me to the sport. My dad swam division one in college, so he wanted to see if I liked it. And sure enough, I loved it.
What has been your favorite part about swimming in high school so far?
JB: Bonding with the team. We had a decent culture when we started this season, but as the season goes on, the more time you spend with each other every day, the team culture builds, and we improve as a team.
What led to your decision to commit to Indiana?
JB: So going into college recruiting, I visited the University of Florida and the University of Indiana, and they are both really good schools, really good academic programs, but the team over at Indiana University was easier to bond with. I was able to mix in with them and as a recruit, it definitely should have been more challenging than it was to blend in with the team and be like one of them.
How does it feel to break a state record? Do you expect to break your own record again? Why?
JB: I went into this year knowing I would get it, and there were no other expectations. You see, I wanted that state record. And so I decided, instead of just getting the state record, why do not I beat it even more than you could ever imagine? For the first state record in the 200 individual medley, it was previously a 146.00, and I went 144.89, so I took that time down by over a second. And for the second state record, the 100-yard breaststroke, it was previously a 53.64, and I wanted to go under a 53, so I barely did that by going a 52.89.
What went into training for your season?
JB: One of the main things about my training that is different from that of many other athletes who are trying to get to my level, even other athletes who are at my level, is that they do not add the aspect of fun to training. You need to enjoy yourself while you are doing the hard training. Because if you are not enjoying yourself, you will just burn out.
What do you do outside of swimming and school (other sports, hobbies, etc..)?
JB: I do a lot of fishing, I do not have very much free time, which sucks. I am looking to get into more hobbies during my free time because as I get into the spring and summer, I will have more time to do whatever I want. I may look into doing some kind of side hustle to make money or something like that just to keep myself busy.
What was it like to swim at World Juniors in Israel, and will you be back?
JB: They hold the meet every two years, meaning I will be 19 or later in my senior year, so I will not be able to attend that meet anymore. But I am looking to qualify for the junior Pan Pacific championships this year, which is all countries on the Pacific Ocean, and that is being held in Australia this year. But the experience was humbling. It gave me a lot to think about and a lot of motivation going into next season because, one, I had not performed very well, and two, I learned that many more people were better than me than I thought.
How did it feel being two-time state champs?
JB: Oh, it was great. I think with a good set of captains, for which we have plenty of perfect candidates, we could be looking for the three-peat; other schools with good swimmers are losing them, and our team talent is only getting better as the years go on.
