Stoughton High Junior Hunter Goodrich a Star in the Pool

As Stoughton's Aquaman, Hunter Goodrich is undeniably one of the most dedicated, talented and passionate athletes at Stoughton High. 

The junior captain of the Stoughton High swim team has, on top of breaking a vast amount of records, won MVP for his team his first three high seasons and is a Hockomock All-Star for the past two years.

Goodrich is, by nature, amphibious. Goodrich started swimming competitively at the age of 9 at the Canton Dolphins Recreational Team and "have swam there ever since." Goodrich said his father drew him to the sport.

Aside from swimming for Stoughton and The Canton Dolphins Recreational teams, Goodrich swims for Hay Lightning, a swimming team based in North Attleboro out of the YMCA. 

Goodrich has competed in several tournaments and meets with his other teams. Recently, he participated in the week-long, 2013 Sunkissed Invitational Tournament in North Carolina with his Hay Lightning team and stated he "had a great time."

Sunkissed Invitational is on a national scale and is a respected tournament in the swimming community. At Sunkissed, Goodrich set all new personal bests for himself and a new Hay Lightning record with three fellow teammates in a relay.

This past winter season for the Stoughton High swim team, Goodrich placed third in the 100-meter butterfly at the Hockomock League championships and took part in the Boys' Winter Swimming and Diving Division 2 State Championships, swimming the 50-yard freestyle. 

But athletic achievements aren't the only things Goodrich has gained for his hard work and bottomless pit of determination. He's made a lot of friends and says of his Hay Lightning team that "they are supportive and always make me laugh."

Goodrich completes in any event his coaches feel can be "most beneficial to the team." His favorite event, though, is the 100-meter butterfly stroke. 

The two-time Hockomock All-Star said his greatest motivation is not specific to one athlete but the success and achievements of several different Olympic athletes such as Ryan Lochte, Allison Schmitt "and of course, Michael Phelps." 

Goodrich has spent hours researching their training, commitments, achievements, habits, and strategies and "can only dream of accomplishing what they have done."

Like any outstanding athlete, it isn't just talent. During the high school season Goodrich gets in double sessions by going to the Stoughton High swimming practices and then to Hay Lightning practices. 

The hard work is what Goodrich loves so much about competitive swimming.

"I enjoy it because it's mostly based off individual commitment. Your times and achievements are [the result] of how hard you push yourself and express the determination that you have," he said. 

During his summer vacations he practices with the Canton Dolphins in the morning and Hay Lightning in the evening with meets on weekends and Tuesdays and Thursdays. Goodrich, for lack of a better term, puts in vast hours of work.

Swimming is hard. You have to get into the pool everyday, doing drill after drill, lap after lap, flip turn after flip turn. According to Goodrich that’s the toughest thing about swimming. So what keeps him going? 

“The clock at the end of every race," he said. "When I’m finding it extremely difficult in the middle of the workout to complete another mile of swimming, I just think of the moment when I slam my hand into the finish of the race and look up at the clock and see what time I’ve dropped.”

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