Ham’s career bests are 100 Free – 47.92, 200 Free – 1:42.32, 500 Free – 4:35.97, 200 Breast – 2:14.45, 200 Fly – 1:54.95, and the 400 IM – 4:01.52. He is a 4x All-Centennial (1x First Team, 2x Second Team, 1x Honorable Mention), and in the 2023-2024 season, won Centennial Championships Medals: 2 Silver (400 IM, 800 FR). In that same season, he also swam on Swarthmore’s top 800 free relay (6:41.47). In the 2022-2023 season, he won Centennial Championships Medals: 1 Gold (800 FR), 1 Bronze (400 IM) and swam on Swarthmore’s top 800 free relay (6:43.52). Ham is from Charlotte, NC and is a double major in applied mathematics and economics.
Katie Kerman: What have been some highlights of the season thus far?
Ham William-Tracy: My favorite meet of the season would definitely have to be the D3 Shootout at the University of Chicago. The atmosphere I felt at that meet was unlike any other meet I had experienced so far and it was a great opportunity to get to race against some really fast teams. As cliche as it sounds, I think some of the biggest highlights of this year have been getting to grind with my teammates day in and day out. To me there’s almost nothing better than the feeling of crushing a difficult practice with my best friends.
KK: What are some team or personal goals for the rest of the season?
HWT: My biggest focus this season has been to get our team to repeat as Centennial Conference champions. This is my last year at Swat, and having won the previous three years, winning this year would be the icing on the cake and a perfect way to close out my tenure at Swat. Personally, I want to smash the conference record in the 400 IM and 500 freestyle. I think leaving my name on the record board would be the best way to cement my legacy and underscore everything this program has given to me.
KK: Do you have any pre-game or post-game rituals?
HWT: Pre-race, I always try to listen to music that will get me in a good head space. This past year it’s been mostly house music, but I usually have a pretty diverse taste as to what gets me pumped before my races. When I get up behind the blocks I want to be as warm as possible so that usually involves jumping around and slapping my body. Racing is my favorite part of swimming so it’s not hard for me to get excited to swim. I am usually extremely excited to race and can barely contain my excitement to compete in my favorite events. As for post-meet, this season, we have been going to Raising Cane’s Chicken after most meets. No better way to cap off a day of racing than with a hearty serving of fried food!
KK: Do you have an athlete role model or someone in the sport you look up to (this person could even be at Swarthmore or an alumni)?
HWT: I would say the swimmer who has left the biggest impact on me was the captain of the team my freshman year, Ethan Bergmann ’22. Bergmann was one of the most positive people I have ever been graced by, and his enthusiasm to be the best rubbed off on his teammates. I remember how much he made me feel cared about as a freshman, and I feel like I have tried to do the same for my teammates. Always feeling like there is someone in your corner can be huge, especially in a sport like swimming where it can be so easy to lose focus on what the ultimate goal is.
KK: Why did you choose to swim in college?
HWT: I was pretty indecisive throughout much of high school as to whether I wanted to swim. Eventually I came around to looking at primarily Division III programs as their emphasis on academics aligned with my aspirations as a student, and many of the programs were a good fit for my times in high school. Coach Sam reached out to me in my junior year and began his correspondence with me regarding swimming at Swarthmore. From there, I juggled a couple programs before I came out to visit Swarthmore at the beginning of my senior year. After visiting campus and meeting Coach Karin face to face, I was certain that Swarthmore was the right fit for me. I think I committed to Swarthmore a week later.
KK: Why did you choose Swarthmore? What is your area of study?
HWT: I picked Swarthmore because many of its academic programs aligned perfectly with my interests in medicine. Within the first year, I shifted away from pre-med as I began to find a much stronger connection with the mathematics and economics departments. I’ve gotten the opportunity to take some classes I would’ve never thought I would have been interested in growing up and have truly discovered my passion here.
KK: What is your favorite class that you’ve taken at Swarthmore?
HWT: I would say I’m split between Energy and the Environment and Tolkien and Pullman Roots, or as my friends came to know it: the Hobbit class.
KK: What do you like to do outside of school and swim?
HWT: Outside of school and swimming I love to read and be outside. I am a huge fan of LEGO and enjoy collecting and building, even though much of my collection is still at home.
KK: What is your favorite drink?
HWT: My favorite drink is Diet Coke.
