50 Years, 50 Titans: The Baxter Family

The Baxter family has given Titans four remarkable swimmers over the past decade. We recruited the help of the youngest family member, Thomas, to interview some his 2 brothers Luke and Sam.

Luke Baxter

Luke has always been a fierce competitor in the pool. He attended St. Joseph Collegiate Institute for high school and swam for the swim team all four years. After graduation, he went on to attend Canisius College where he swam during his freshmen year. After two years, Luke transferred to D’Youville and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science. He still lives locally and is working in fabricating for a machine company called Ttarp Co.

Tom’s Q&A with Luke:

Q: When did you first join Titans?

A: I first joined Titans in 2010.

Q: What is your favorite memory being part of the Titans team?

A: I don’t really have one favorite memory from Titans. My favorite memories are any and all of those that involved my closest friends from Titans: Connor Keenan, Emily Augugliaro, Tom Chameli, Haley Brucato, and Maddie Green. They were great friends inside and outside the pool. 

Q: What event did you dread to swim?

A: I only swam the 200 fly a handful of times in my career, and there is a very good reason for that, I was bad at it. I only got good enough at fly to have a decent 50 for the 200 IM, which I enjoyed swimming. Anything over a 50 fly and my form started to slack and I would start to regret signing up for that event in the first place.

Sam Baxter

Like his older brother, Sam also attended SJCI for high school and swam all four years. He was the team captain during his junior and senior year. After graduating, he went on to attend D’Youville for one year before transferring to UB. You can still spot Sam at the AFC lifeguarding or checking in on Coach Scott and Titans practices.

Fun Fact: Sam couldn’t break 1:10 in the 100 breast stroke. Sophomore year of his high school season he went a 1:10 and couldn’t improve his time. He took some time off breaststroke until his senior year when a good friend and Titan alum, Matt Walker, suggested he wear a tech suit to swim this event to get a different perspective. He swam a 1:07. He proceeded to swim it at his last meet, without a tech suit, in 1:08, which felt more rewarding knowing he did it without the super suit!

Tom’s Q&A with Sam:

Q: When did you first join Titans?

A: I think I joined Titans the summer going into 7th grade. I remember doing the trial for

Titans a few years earlier and liking it, but not knowing if it was the right time to join the

club yet.

Q: What is your favorite memory about being a Titan?

A: I never liked going to the bigger meets because I didn’t like meets that where far away from home. Connor Morrissey, still a good friend of mine and alum to Titans, convinced me to go to Golds when we were both seniors. Besides the drive to Ithaca, I had a great time and I’m glad I went away for a meet just to have that experience. The energy at those meets is contagious.

Q: What was the one event or stroke you dreaded swimming?

A: Anything more than a 200 I hated swimming. The older I got the more I focused on

sprints. The 200 IM and 200 back were the only 200 events I liked to swim for

that long.

Thomas Baxter

A special thank you to Thomas Baxter for taking time out his busy schedule to help tell his brothers’ stories. As a junior at St. Joseph Collegiate Institute and an active member on the swim team, Tom is close to becoming a Titan alum. We wanted to share his interview along with his siblings’.

Fun Fact about Tom: He once arrived at a Titans practice at the AFC only to find that nobody else showed up so it was just him and coach Scott the whole practice. 

Q: When did you first join Titans?

A: I first joined Titans in level 3.

Q: What is your favorite memory about being a Titan?

A: I once tied with a swimmer in my 100 free during the prelims of a swim meet and I had to face off against him again to see if I would swim it in the finals that night. I remember standing on the block ready to face this guy one-on-one while every Titan gathered around behind me ready to cheer me on. I ended up winning the face off, getting a best time, and then I had to race it a 3rd time later that day at finals. 

Q: What was the one event or stroke you dreaded swimming?

A: I’m an awful distance swimmer so if it is a 500 or above you will not see me swimming it.