When Jimmy Bedsole took the job at a neighborhood pool, he probably could not have envisioned that his son would later swim for one of the most highly decorated swim programs in the country. Yet today, Luke Bedsole, a senior at Huntsville High School in Huntsville, Ala., is a mere two semesters away from joining the 13-time NCAA National Champion Auburn Swimming and Diving Team.
“I pretty much always knew that I was going to be going to Auburn,” Luke smiles. “Obviously they’ve had a lot of success in the past. Not many teams have won a national championship— Auburn’s one of the few that can say they have.”
Luke’s swimming journey began at that neighborhood pool but continued through his childhood as he shined in Huntsville’s Rocket City Swim League (RCSL). Around the age of 14, he began to realize that swimming was not merely a hobby or fascination, but an arena in which he could compete at the next level. Branching out from local competition, Bedsole began to compete regionally and nationally, traveling to places like Orlando, Fla., Nashville, Tenn., and Greensboro, North Carolina, and holding his own with the best of the best.
In 2022, Bedsole captured the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) state championship in both the 200 Y freestyle and 100 Y backstroke. Earlier that year, he placed ninth in the 200 L Fly at the NCSA Summer Swimming Championship at Indianapolis, Ind.—a venue, Luke says, is one of the “coolest” he’s ever been to.
Last year, Bedsole won the state in both the 100 Y Free and 50 Y Free, and in 2024 he has competed well, placing 2nd in the 50 Y Back in the NCSA Spring Championships in Orlando and finishing first in the 100 L Free and 50 L Back at the Southeastern LC Championships in Huntsville.
Swim Swam, a national swimming and diving magazine, has Bedsole as the top-ranked swimmer in the state and 16th nationally for the 2025 class. The magazine’s website describes Bedsole as a “versatile” swimmer and a “nice get” for the Tigers.
But it’s not just the water in which Bedsole excels. He carries a 4.1 GPA in the classroom, says his favorite subject is math, and plans to study Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University.
The son of Jimmy and Jennifer Bedsole, Luke says his favorite weekend activity is watching football and his go-to snack is Doritos. He admires nine-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel and says his favorite memory in the pool occurred this summer when his relay team won the futures national meet at the Huntsville Aquatic Center.
Bedsole’s swimming and diving coaches include Arthur Forntin and Katherine Brennan. Brennan, a U.S. History teacher at Huntsville High, sung the young athlete’s praises and highlighted his personal growth throughout his middle and high school experience.
“This is an exciting and hard year. Luke is a senior with a bright future in swimming. He has been swimming with us since he was in middle school. November will be his last high school state meet. We could not be prouder of this mature humble young man. Watching him grow has been an amazing journey,” Brennan said. TG
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