BEAUMONT, Texas — Auf geht’s Tiger, or, as it’s said in English, let’s go tigers.
Aeneas Wollmann is a foreign exchange student from Berlin, Germany turned Silsbee Tiger.
“It’s a different feeling to wake up in America than it is in Europe,”Wollmann said.
“I always wanted to do an exchange here and experience life in America, and my exchange organization’s chair put me into Silsbee and I just love it here,” Wollman said.
Wollmann has fully immersed himself into the Tiger culture, especially when it comes to athletics.
“Mainly sports the entire time I was here. I signed up for football and now swimming,” Wollmann said.
The junior is representing the Tigers at the UIL Swim and Dive State Meet.
“My goal is to at least top myself, and, of course, I’m trying to get better and hopefully get a good place at state,” Wollmann said.
Wollmann has been in the pool a majority of his life and his coach Mason Youngblood says he’s a natural competitor.
“He’s got a switch," Youndblood said. "He was very nervous the day after regionals. Right after that I saw on finals day he was ready to go. We talked about it a ton, I told him little things that he needed to fix, we talked about it every time we’re at the pool anywhere, so he knew what he had to do and he did it.”
Wollmann is looking to place again at the UIL Swim State Meet.
“I know for a fact he know how much the City of Silsbee loves to win, loves to compete, loves to be the best,” Youngblood said.
Wollman is taking his mark to leave one on the Silsbee Tigers.
The Tiger isn't the only swimmer from southeast Texas competing at state. Freshman Bella Cardenas from Hamshire-Fannett, junior Brandt Meaux from East Chambers, and Lumberton's Evan Bernard, Roman Weber and Mya Weber all qualified to compete at the state meet.
The 4A & below meet is from Feb. 9-10. The 5A & 6A meet is from Feb. 17-18.