Hoover High’s star swimmer Karen Creviston has established quite a legacy in her four years at the school. Creviston’s resume clearly proves that she is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of the school.
Most recently, Creviston broke the school record for the 200-meter Individual Medley that was set in 1980 (2:28:78). The senior is not only recognized for what she has done in the pool, but also honored for her incredible achievements in academics. In the following essay, Creviston talks about her proudest moments, the growth she made in high school and what’s still to come in the future.
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I did win NYL Female Swimmer of the Year, CIF NYL Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and B’Nai B’Brith. These awards are a huge honor, especially to not only be recognized by my school, but my league with a plethora of worthy competitors. As well as being able to be recognized for both my outstanding achievements in the pool and in the classroom at the same time.
It’s really just great to know that hard work does pay off and people recognize what I’ve been doing. I can thank my coach, Kylie Johnson for the majority of my success. She truly helped me become the athlete I am today. As well as the Hoover staff as a whole as they gave me the tools to make myself successful.
I currently hold two school records and those are quite honestly my proudest achievements athletically. Having goals of breaking records has pushed me so hard to be better. And it’s just really awesome to be able to look back and know I’ve made History. The feeling is almost indescribable with how blessed I feel to be able to claim that accomplishment.
The two takeaways I have from my time at Hoover as an athlete are, firstly winning the the Jim Cioner Sportsmanship Award. I was the first female from Hoover to win this award, and that award is very special to me because it has nothing to do with how good of a player I am or how many points I’ve scored, it’s about my character as an athlete. It’s really special to know that I was recognized out of the whole division as someone who exemplified sportsmanship to the refs.
And secondly, I will always remember my failures. As cool as it is to have the achievements like the school records I learn so much more about the times I tried to get them and failed. Or any other goals I’ve had I never reached.
From my failures, I get my drive to be better and continue to work and be better than I was the day before. When I fail, I push myself harder and use it as my biggest motivator.
I’ve made significant growth while at Hoover. I’ve learned discipline, dedication, and the importance of hard work. My dedication in and out of the pool showed me what I can do when I put my all into something. I know I can truly reach new heights and be successful when I work hard at it.
Academically, I’ve pushed myself just as hard and my dedication in sports inspired me to work harder in the classroom.
I’ve committed to Fresno City College to continue to play water polo and swim. I’m majoring in political science. And I hope while playing at City I can break a few records while I’m there. And become a stronger and better athlete and be able to take my skills to the next level, and hopefully transfer to a 4-year University on a swimming scholarship.
