With the sheer quanity of swimmers, there’s really no way around it. The races need to be short. And while that makes the Jefferson Swim League tailor-made for the sprinters, it forces a lot of the middle and long distance swimmers to adapt. Lake Monticello’s Sito Arroyo is one of those swimmers.
During the school year, Arroyo swims the 500 freestyle and the 200 IM for Fork Union Military Academy. Needless to say, not only are the JSL races different for the rising junior, so too is the atmosphere.
“At Fork Union it’s a lot more difficult,” Arroyo said. “Practices are longer and we obviously train a lot harder. But the events are also longer. In the JSL its only sprints and I’m a distance swimmer at Fork Union. In distance races its about holding your pace. In the JSL you just go all out.”
And though Arroyo is slightly out of his comfort zone, his consistency and hard work have helped out Lake Monticello for the last several years. Regardless of times, the change in attitude is also something that Arroyo enjoys during the summer – the Lake Monticello team has a laid back approach which is a lot different that the rigidity of FUMA.
“It’s also nice to have a break,” Arroyo said. “Summer swimming is always about just having a good time.”
Sprinters and competition
Of course, some swimmers in the JSL find themselves in a perfect situation. Chelsea Tomko of Fluvanna Aquatic Swim Team is a pure sprinter during the school year. And on day one of the JSL championships, the Fluvanna County product was posting top finishes in both the 50 free and 200 free relay to go with second place finishes in the 100 IM and 50 butterfly , making her one FAST’s most valuable swimmers as a one person point accumulating machine.
“It’s convienent for me,” Tomko said. “I know a lot people out here could beat me in any of the 200 meter races, but I definitely benefit here in these 50s because I’m a sprinter.”
While most swimmers chalk up the JSL to just having a good time, don’t be fooled by thinking that the top tier swimmers don’t care about where they finish. In some ways, there’s a competition within a competition at the JSL. One swimmer can’t carry a team, so for the elite, the JSL championship is about maintaining a reputation.
“I think we all get nervous for this meet,” Tomko said. “We’ve been doing it for 12 or 13 years and we’re by the blocks thinking about who’s going to win. But I still love it. It’s a healthy competition where we all congratulate each other after the races still have a good time.”
Different Strokes
At Charlottesville High, Brodde Lamb gets to swim in a handful of different races. But in the JSL, the Boar’s Head swimmer gets an opportunity to try a little bit of everything. Every swimmer has their stroke(s) as well as their distances, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to give some of the other races a crack.
“In the winter I’m an IM’er and butterfly (specialist),” Lamb said. “During the summer I get to try out the other events. I get to work on my freestyle, my backstroke.”
Of course, when it comes to the championship, Lamb jumps right into her go-to races, and she placed at the top of the heap in Friday’s 50 fly, was third in the 100 IM but also came through with a second place finish in the 50 backstroke.
Lamb, much like Tomko, is one of the top point scorers for her team, but she is quick to attribute most of that to her teammates.
“The other swimmers on this team, I wouldn’t be able to do anything without them.” Lamb said. “I’ve been a swimmer here since I was five and we’re a family. I just really love the spirit of this team.”
Summer rehab
When it comes to getting healthy, the pool is a favorite for a lot of physical therapists. Morgan McKee tore his meniscus just a few weeks before the JSL season started, and after his surgery, he’s used summer swimming as a way to help his knee get back into shape.
“After surgery I spent a month on crutches to stay off the knee,” McKee said. “I hurt it in a Hiking accident. I slipped on rock and fell and then tore it, which is sort of embarrassing but the truth.”
After sitting out for the first few weeks, McKee worked himself back into his usual events, the medley relay, the 50 free, breast and fly, but not without a few nervous moments.
“It’s been weird,” McKee said. “I’ve had the twinges on and off, but the doctors gave the clear so I’ve been going for it.”
And now at nearly full strength, the rising junior at Western Albemarle is starting to see the JSL less as rehab and more as summer swimming.
“It’s normally a fun a experience, but this time it started out as painful process,” McKee said. “Now it’s turning back into a fun experience.”
Day one highlights
Natalie Cronk had her eyes set on one particular JSL record Friday—the 100-meter individual medley—and with good reason. Cronk’s aunt, Rebecca Cronk set the record back in 1995 with a time of 59.76 swimming for Key West. Natalie Cronk, swimming for Crozet, barely missed breaking the record by clocking a 59.83, just seven hundredths behind her aunt. Cronk also won the 50 backstroke, knocking off ACAC’s Seana Acker, who finished second.
Hannah Harper scored a number of points for Fairview in the 13-14 year old division with wins in the 100-meter IM, 100 freestyle and the 50 butterfly. She barely edged Storrs Lamb in the IM, clocking in at 1:03.14 to Lamb’s 1:03.91.
Matt Lockman also had a solid day, winning the 50 freestyle in the 15-18 division. The Albemarle High standout also was part of a 200 medley relay squad for Fairview that topped a Lake Monticello outfit. Ryan McGhee, Tim Webb and Brian Donovan rounded out the Fairview squad. Lockman also grabbed a fourth in the 100 free.
One member of that Lake Monticello relay, Tony Romanini, also piled up some individual points with a win in the 50 back and a second in the 100 free.
While it was mostly high school age swimmers in the pool on day one, the boys 9-10 group also competed, and Boar’s Head’s Harry Saunders had a monster day. He started with a win in the 100 IM, finishing just ahead of teammate August Lamb. He then led Boar’s head to a third place 200 medley relay finish, won the 50 backstroke and the 100 free.
Crozet’s particularly strong 13-14 year old girls group made a big impact on the Friday session. Elsa Strickland and Carly Witt gave the Gators second and third in the 100 free, while Strickland won the 50 breaststroke and the 50 free. Anna Corley won the 50 backstroke and placed third in the 100 IM. Corley and Witt then took third and fourth in the 50 fly. Witt also finished third in the 50 free.
