Many Perks Convinced Aikman Warren that Centre College was Right for Him

Aikman Warren with his parents and swim club coach after signing with Centre College.

During his junior season at Pope John Paul II Preparatory School in Hendersonville, Tenn., several Centre College alumni told Aikman Warren he should consider Centre for his college choice. The first was Hadley (Judson) McCrary, a former Centre swimmer who was also his high school coach.

“I decided to go tour the campus. I met the (swim) team and saw campus. I fell in love as soon as I saw it,” he said.

If that wasn’t enough to impress him, he heard about plans for the new 10-lane, 50-meter pool and aquatics center that will be ready for full time use when he arrives on campus in August.

“I loved (coach) Dean (Brownley and then I heard about the new facility,” he said. “I went to camp there last summer but the new pool very much influenced my decision to go to Centre.”

He transferred to Pope John Paul two years ago to be challenged more academically and athletically. He has been part of Excel Aquatics for six years and was a three-time southeast region qualifier. In high school he was a four-time regional and state qualifier. This past season his was part of a medley relay that finished in the top eight in state, the second highest finish in school history.

His main event is the 100-meter breaststroke and dropped almost two seconds off his previous best time as a senior.

“I can swim other things but I am going to Centre as a breaststroker,” Warren said. “Centre is very strong in the breaststroke and that’s one of the big reasons I want to go there. I see how much their swimmers improve and drop a ton of time. I want to be able to do the same thing and be a real competitor at the SAA (Southern Athletic Association) Championships.”

His parents liked his college choice because they both went to smaller colleges. His mother graduated from Georgetown College and his father from Union College. They were both big proponents of their son attending a school with smaller class sizes.

“I kind of consider Centre as the Harvard of Kentucky,” Warren said. “I know you have got to be pretty smart to go there but once I met Dean Brownley and his assistants, I knew I really didn’t need to visit any more schools.”

He admits he is “definitely intimidated and very nervous” about the academic workload at Centre College.

“I have been to a preparatory school for two years but I am still nervous about what is coming,” he said. “I am going to major in computer science which can be challenging. It is a different direction I can take. Centre is really good for academics. I met with a couple of professors and I know I can be very successful there.

“I know it can be a little nerve wracking with athletics and academics but a lot of people do it. Being a college athlete will be different but I think I can handle it and my academics because of my preparation.”

Warren knows he faces an important summer to prepare for his first collegiate swim season

“I am going to be a swim coach for my local summer league swim team but I am mainly going to be training the whole season,” he said. “I have had a shoulder injury the last two months mainly from overuse, so I know I have to train probably the hardest I ever have to prepare for my freshman season.”