Excelling in swimming is rewarding for Geoffrey Sanders and Michael Garbarino. Being named to USA Swimming's Scholastic All American Team makes the hard work worthwhile.

Sanders, 18, and Garbarino, 16, have been swimming in the New Wave Swim Club's year-round program since they were children.

"When you are a little kid, you try to find your niche, and I guess swimming was mine," said Sanders, a member of New Wave since the age of 8.

He was a star swimmer for Enloe High School, helping the men's team win four out of nine state championships in a row. Now he is a freshman swimmer for the University of Tennessee, and will swim in the 400- and 1,500-meter freestyle events in the U.S. Olympic Trials June 29 through July 6 in Omaha, Neb.

Garbarino is a junior at Leesville High School. He enjoys the close bond he shares with his New Wave teammates and coaches.

"Swimmers are a very close community, almost like a second family," he said.

Garbarino hopes to follow in Sanders' footsteps to the Olympic Trials someday, but for now, he is happy to be going to the U.S. Club Swimming Association's Junior National Championships in Orlando, Fla., March 18 to 22.