Wister leads Haddon Heights to title

Zac Wister is a longtime swimmer, an individual and now team champion at Haddon Heights.

Wister, who owns the school record for the 500-yard freestyle, helped the Garnets win the Atlantic Division championship, going undefeated along the way. He has qualified for the state tournament in the 500 and 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

A member of the National Honor Society, Wister will take his talents to Drexel, having earned a partial academic scholarship, and he also will compete for the swim team.

In short, he has been a standout in the pool and outside of it, and he recently sat down to discuss this season and his future.

Question: As members of the South Jersey Aquatic Club in Camden, you and your teammates offer swim lessons to the youth of Camden. Talk about what that is like.

Answer: Not only do we teach the youngsters how to swim, but I remember one time teaching a kid who said he was just looking for somebody to talk to. So it's not just teaching swimming, but a chance to spend time with these youngsters. It is very fulfilling.

Q: What attracted you to Drexel?

A: I was looking for both a good swimming program and good engineering program, which I want to study. Drexel had both.

Q: Your brother Luke is a standout for Haddon Heights as a sophomore, with the school record in the 100 backstroke. What's it like being his teammate, and do the two of you race against one another much?

A: It's definitely cool swimming with him, and yes, we race each other and it's always competitive.

Q: Any hobbies?

A: When I am not hanging with friends, I play bass guitar. I got it as a Christmas gift and picked it up myself. I played piano five years and went online, and I've been teaching myself.

Q: What do you enjoy most about swimming at Haddon Heights?

A: It's definitely the kids on the team. It makes it so much more enjoyable. Tons of good kids on the team. They are not just good swimmers, but they are kind people and really cool.