The Auburn Reporter’s male athlete of the week for Dec. 15 is junior Owen Bolinger of Auburn Mountainview High School, Swim and Dive.

Q: What is your favorite subject/class in school?

A: Currently, my favorite class is Intro to Philosophy. I have always enjoyed the humanities, and taking a look into a wide range of philosophical topics has been particularly engaging.

Q: Name your Mount Rushmore (Top 4) of Movies?

A: My Top 4, or Mount Rushmore, movies would have to be Donnie Darko, The Big Lebowski, Goodfellas, and Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse. I could watch all four over and over again.

Q: Who is the person in your life that has helped you succeed the most?

A: My Mom and Dad have both helped me succeed in so many ways, and for that I am very grateful. I could never say that one has helped me more than the other.

Q: You’re on a long road trip, you stop at a gas station. You get one drink and one snack. What are you choosing?

A: I would choose a bag of Barbecue Lays for my snack, and a can of Arizona Iced Tea for my drink.

Q: Describe your pre-game ritual

A: I start out by getting a good night’s sleep and eating a large breakfast/lunch. Before I leave, I journal my worries surrounding the swim meet and meditate for 10 minutes. Both of these have been very helpful in dealing with performance anxiety. I like to bring headphones so I can listen to music before I swim, too.

Q: Song you currently can’t stop listening to?

I can’t stop listening to River of Happiness, by Dolly Parton. I am not a huge country fan, but Dolly is an incredibly talented songwriter and vocalist- that I can appreciate.

From the sidelines: Owen made district time in 50 freestyle with a 24.93 and narrowly missed a district time on the 100 freestyle with a time of 56.49. Taking first in both events against the Thomas Jefferson Raiders.