Being a disciplined athlete at the Division I level is no easy task. You have to be committed to the process and willing to make sacrifices in your everyday life to achieve your individual and team goals.
Senior James Conable made an everlasting impact on the Marist Swim and Dive program over his four years. The five-time gold medalist, three-time silver medalist and one-time bronze medalist in the MAAC holds three school records. He also holds the 200-yard IM MAAC and as a member of the 2024 MAAC championship, has been vital in the national recognition of the Marist program.
For as long as he can remember, Conable has been in the water. His father was an avid surfer and swimmer. His mother’s concern for water safety made it an easy decision for him to get in the pool. The late nights and long weekends proved difficult for Conable growing up, as he struggled to fully embrace the practice required to be a good swimmer—an area he has learned to love as his career progressed.
“My parents had to really get on me about going to practice. They wanted to make sure I had some structure and discipline in my life, and once I stuck with it, I began to actually like it,” said Conable. “Once I grew and started getting faster, the practices were more fun because I could see the improvements.”
He began to find his true love for the sport in high school and committed to Marist his senior year, with uncertainty awaiting upon his arrival. Previous head coach Larry Van Wagner announced his retirement and new head coach Anthony Randall replaced him.
While Conable had been expecting some change, he was nervous like any other first-year athlete coming into a completely new environment—especially the shift from living in California to Poughkeepsie and being away from his entire support system at home.
Luckily for Conable, the growing pains that the team had to go through were a group effort and everyone supported each other throughout the transition. Coach Randall navigated his way as the team’s new leader, coming into a culture that had been the same for 40 years and earning the trust of the athletes without an assistant coach.
“I gotta give him credit. He has come a long way and built this program up in four years. We now have a great assistant coach, Abigail String, and a tight-knit family. I’m really lucky honestly. It’s not every time that people or a team are as tight knit as we are given how much time we spend [men’s and women’s team] with one another,” said Conable.
The team evolved through Randall’s recruitment efforts and Conable’s leadership qualities, both in and out of the pool. Multiple swimmers, Conable included, have competed at the US Open and other high-level meets across the US—allowing Marist to showcase their talent on a national level.
The bar constantly climbed higher for the team as positive outcomes of hard work and commitment to the process came to fruition—Conable’s first taste of this came his sophomore year, breaking the school record in the 400-yard IM.
The confidence Conable gained from his sophomore season was pivotal to finding his place on the team. He felt the weight of being at the top and what it meant to have people relying on you to perform at your best every time he got in the pool, a feeling that brought a new level of excitement to Conable as he continued to shine and put Marist on the map.
The accomplishments that Conable has achieved during his time at Marist haven’t gone unnoticed, yet in the time he has taken outside of the pool, his love for swimming hasn’t been the main focus. Conable took the summer going into his senior season to focus on himself and his internship, with swimming not being the top priority for once.
He came into the season enjoying his time with his teammates and soaking up his last season as a Red Fox. His times improved in practice and early season meets, quickly realizing that this final season could be different.
“I knew I could have a great season if I stayed focused. The period around Christmas, when your body just hurts and you’re not motivated, is the most important part. You have to stay disciplined and stick with it,” said Conable.
A week out from the MAAC Championship, Conable fell ill and did not know if he could fully recover before the meet. He continued to fight through the illness, and in his first individual swim of the meet, he won the 200-yard IM and broke both the Marist school and MAAC record.
Along with the win in the 200-yard IM, Conable won the 1650-yard freestyle, 400-yard IM and notched a new school record in the 400-yard IM and 800-yard freestyle relay.
Conable being a talented swimmer is only just a portion of who he is as a person. His impact on the program spans beyond his abilities in the water, showcasing his leadership qualities for his teammates.
“I hope people remember me as a leader and a role model for hard work,” said Conable. “Hard work does pay off, and I think my teammates saw me work hard and achieve my goals, but also that I was a fun guy to be around.”
Conable holds value in the memories he has made outside of swimming. The student-athlete life has allowed Conable to travel around the country with his closest friends and chase goals that seemed unattainable during his first year at Marist. The time Conable spent in hotel rooms and on long bus rides allowed lifelong bonds to form and a joint understanding that there was more to the college experience than just swimming fast.
“I am not only a swimmer, […] I am someone who shows up for my friends and is a stand-up guy that made a lot of fun memories with the people who will be in my life forever,” said Conable.
The people Conable surrounded himself with and the shared values they discovered through swimming made it easy for them to find joy. Conable’s journey at Marist may be coming to a close, but the lessons he has learned and the discipline swimming has taught him can never be taken away.
Edited by August Lieberman and Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photos from Marist Athletics
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