Charest hoping to make a splash at Bates

Despite collecting a handful of high school records, Lewiston swimmer Matt Charest may have not reached the high-water mark in his career.

Charest is the proud owner of records in the 100 butterfly, 200 medley relay team, 100 breaststroke, 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke — all watershed moments in his stellar career at Lewiston

His stunning performances are reasons why Charest has been named the Sun Journal’s boys’ swimmer of the year.

“Whenever I jump in the water, it just relieves all my stress. It is like a home to me,” Charest said. “Like I said before, it is a stress reliever for me. After a long day of school, I get in the water and it just feels like once I get out of that pool, I feel rejuvenated. It is a great way to stay in shape It just my home. I have been doing it so long that it is second nature to me.”

The senior’s accolades in the pool have not gone unnoticed. He will be swimming for Bates College come September.

“Matt is a well-rounded swimmer who performs at a very high level in all strokes and events,” Lewiston coach Troy Boutin said. “Matt has a diverse repertoire of events, but what makes Matt an even more diverse and valuable swimmer is his ability to lead and motivate his peers and show genuine care, concern, and support for his fellow teammates.”

Charest knows he will be competing with talented swimmers when he dives into pool at the college level.

“It is going to be a lot different,” Charest said. “I was just watching a Bates conference meet. There was a live-stream on there. I would compare my times to the fastest times and I was like, ‘Wow these guys are fast.’”

“I know I am going to have to pick up next year, work even harder to get better. It is going to be a great adjustment. I am going to get more tons of competition. It is going to be swimming against super fast people.”