Episcopal Academy’s Chase Bearley is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week (Jan. 23-29)
A junior at EA, Chase Bearley posted a time of 21.41 in the boys 50 free (.2 seconds off the school record) in a recent meet against Germantown Academy, then jumped into the boys 100 free with a blistering time of 47.23. As a sophomore, Bearley was selected to the All-Main Line boys swimming second team last winter, and he was chosen to the second team All-Inter-Ac water polo squad this past fall. “We are fortunate to have an athlete like Chase competing for our team,” said EA swimming head coach Brian Kline. “Week after week, Chase puts in the hours to improve in and out of the water. He is one of the most versatile swimmers we have – he can be counted on in any event here at EA — yet thrives in the 50 and 100 freestyle. We are fortunate to have him here at EA, in and out of the water.”
Q: What was the key to your recent performance in the 50 and 100 free against GA?
A: At practice I know I am always one of the hardest workers in the pool, so I knew I was physically prepared going into the races. For swimming, being mentally prepared is almost as important as the physical side, so throughout the day I stayed focused on my races and was able to get ready by listening to music.
Q: What aspect of your swimming have you worked on most recently?
A: Lately at practice I have really been trying to work on having stronger and longer underwaters. I wanted to focus on this because I noticed watching some of my races that my underwaters were one of my weak points.
Q: What swimming accomplishment outside of competing for EA are you most proud of?
A: This summer I qualified for Futures, which is a very competitive meet, and has very tough qualification times. I got my cut in the 50 free and went the exact qualification time, which I was very excited for. The meet was held at the Spire institute in Geneva, Ohio and I was able to have one of the best meets of the season.
Q: What is your favorite swimming venue, and why?
A: My favorite swimming venue would probably be the pool at The University of Maryland. The pool there is massive and I dropped time every time I swam there. There are also a lot of things to do around the pool in between sessions.
Q: What do you think has been your best swim for EA this season outside of the 50 free and 100 free, and what was the key to your performance in that particular swim?
A: I would say my 200 free against Penn Charter was my best swim outside of my main events. I was able to win with a time of 1:47 and got points for our close win over them. I was able to get out to a fast start and hold the lead the whole race.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in competitive swimming. Who have been your most valuable swimming mentors, and what were the most important things you learned from each of them?
A: I started competitive swimming around the age of 8 and fell in love with the sport. I would say my club coach, Coach Zach Nerwinski, and both of my EA coaches, Coach Brian Kline and Coach Quincy Hyson, have really helped me become both a better person and a much better swimmer. They all have really helped motivate me at practice and give me little tips throughout each practice to help improve my technique. I certainly would not be where I am today without these coaches.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-meet preparation on the day of a meet.
A: I usually like to eat a good breakfast sandwich before school. I make sure I am always drinking liquids and eat a healthy lunch. Around an hour before the meet I put my headphones on, stretch, and get mentally prepared to race.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at EA? What do you think you’d like to major in at college? Is there a career path that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: I would say that any Chemistry course is my favorite at EA. I am thinking about majoring in business or real estate but I am not completely sure yet. I am interested in real estate and feel that it would be a fun job to sell houses.
Fun facts – Chase Bearley
Favorite TV show: Peaky Blinders.
Favorite movie: Anchorman 2.
Favorite athlete: Caeleb Dressel.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Freestyle by Lil Baby, or Going Bad by Meek Mill.
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite place to visit: Outer Banks. N.C.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Chicken parm.
Person I most admire, and why: “Caeleb Dressel — he has the fastest ever 50 yard freestyle and I really love his work ethic. I also think it is cool how versatile he is — he holds/held NCAA records in many events — and how laid-back he can be.”
Family members: parents Scott and Amijo, brother Blake, dog Bentley.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
