(Andover, MA) -- The intrepid Class of 2022 has commenced.
Entering Andover in the Fall of 2018, the members of the Class of 2022 experienced Andover's first Eastern Championship as ninth graders and repeated the feat as 10th graders. The COVID-19 Pandemic then wrought much change, including four of the five members of the class not appearing on campus at all in eleventh grade.
When they returned to campus for their senior year, though, the four original members of the Class of 2022--Brendon Fang, Max Fang, Ralph Lam, and Hank Yang--were poised to lead the resurrection of the program. And they were joined by James Isenhower, who spent his first years as a member of Andover's junior-varsity team.
Today's graduates:
Brendon Fang of Portland, OR, will matriculate at Carnegie-Mellon this fall. In his swimming, Brendon dropped from 101:42 to 59.33 in the 100 Breast and from 2:01.99 to 1:58.66 in the 200 IM. During eleventh grade, Brendon was in Portland without access to a pool, so he made the best of a rowing machine and will soon be contributing to a college crew program.
Like his brother, Max Fang has embraced rowing but not before having one more successful swimming season as a senior. Max entered Andover with a 1:02.31 in the 100 Breast and leaves with a 1:00.34 as well as with a 2:03.63 in the 200 IM and leaves with a 1:57.96. Max, too, will be attending Carnegie-Mellon this fall.
James Isenhower, whose family moves from army base to army base, certainly wins this year's "most improved" award. James arrived at Andover with the following best times in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly, and 200 IM: 29.18, 1:00.46, 1:13.23, 2:44.72. He moved to varsity in December of his senior year and departs Andover with best times of 23.34, 50.76, 54.97, and 2:01.49. James will matriculate at the U.S. Naval Academy in September.
Ralph Lam arrived at Andover from Hong Kong and leaves school as an accomplished writer as well as a much-improved swimmer. In the 50 Free, he went from 22.54 to 21.81. In the 100, from 51.79 to 46.92. In the 200, from 1:51.65 to 1:46.23. After a gap year in Los Angeles, Ralph will enter the University of Chicago in September 2023.
Hank Yang also arrived from Hong Kong and flourished at Andover. A middle-distance swimmer, Hank saw steady improvement each year. He entered Andover with a 1:53.33 in the 200 and leaves with a 1:43.63. In the 500, he dropped from 5:07.00 to 4:44.25. Next year, Hank will attend Harvard University.
Finis origine pendet
