Jackson launches swim program with diverse group

~ The team will open the season with 12 swimmers.

Jackson's first-year boys swimming team is comprised of a diverse group of athletes, including four seniors who have never swam competitively, a student who scored a 36 on the ACT and a junior whose sweet tooth for cake one afternoon is the cause of his joining the team.

"We have more diversity than you'd ever imagine," Jackson assistant coach Casey Brennan said. "We have kids who came in who swim year round ... and then we have kids who we had to teach how to blow bubbles out of their noses."

Jackson coach Shana Kight said some of the team's 12 swimmers are inexperienced, but they were all able to learn quickly and her team will be ready for its first meet Monday, which also will include two other local programs, Notre Dame and Central.

"In two weeks, they went from knowing zero about any strokes to knowing about 95 percent of the strokes and doing them well," Kight said. "They have worked hard. They have listened to coach Brennan and me giving them every little pointer possible because they're so determined to do well in this sport."

The team's six seniors are at different levels athletically, and they have diverse personalities as well.

Zach Dumey, a former lifeguard who has never competed in a swimming event, is the likely the smartest member of the squad, according to his test scores. He scored a 36 on his ACT.

"Being a smart kid, I guess you don't have to study as much as other kids but this [swimming] is like trying to study real hard for me," he said. "I am not naturally good at it so I have to work at it."

Dumey, who would like to study chemistry at either the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington University in St. Louis or Grinnell College in Iowa, said that his lung strength has increased in the last two weeks of practice and his strokes are three times better than they were before.

Blaine Davis, also a newcomer to the sport, decided to join the Jackson team because he thought swimming sounded interesting. He also wanted to start getting his body in condition because he recently enlisted in the Navy. He is scheduled to depart for boot camp Aug. 15, 2008.

Davis also is practicing to become a diver this fall.

"It is funny to watch other people do it," he said of diving. "And it's funny to watch yourself when you come up with a red stomach.

Davis is not the only member of the Indians with military plans. His junior teammate, Levi Ruble, is planning to enlist in the Marines. Ruble said he was eating cake in a science classroom after school one day when Brennan, also a teacher at Jackson, approached him and said he looked like he would be a good swimmer.

Ruble agreed to attend one practice, which he enjoyed. He said he found that swimming would be a good way to stay in shape, but he said the hard part has been the coaches' limiting his sweet tooth for cake and soda.

"I was big into soda and monster drinks," he said. "I was having like two or three glasses a day."

Zack DeBoe has also has never competed in a swimming meet but he has been a recreational swimmer since he was 8 years old. He previously worked out at the pool at FitnessPlus. His mother wanted him to join the Gators swim team when he was younger but he refused.

"I didn't really want to wear the Speedo," he said. "That was the only reason I didn't want to do it.

"Now, I am just like, 'Oh well,'" he said. "It was that age where I was just like, 'Ah.'"

His goal for this season is to make the state tournament in the 50-meter freestyle.

"I could always go long distances without stopping," he said. "I'm pretty good at swimming."

Welker, a member of the Gators and one of the two seniors with previous experience, will be a two-sport athlete this fall. He will be practicing with the swim team on Monday, Wednesdays and Friday mornings and will also work out with the cross country team after school each day.

"His body can skip that Tuesday and Thursday [practice] and not swim and still be as good in a meet," Kight said.

Kight added that Welker has become the leader of the team. Welker said he has done whatever he can to help the seniors and underclassmen who are first-time swimmers.

"I just give them a few tips on how to correct their strokes and to tell them what to do to swim a little faster," he said.

Welker has already completed the 500 freestyle in 4 minutes, 58 seconds, which he said is about 17 seconds faster than the state qualifying time.

Kevin Goodman, according to Kight, hardly was able to swim a lap across the pool the first two days of practice. But he can now swim about 2,500 meters. Goodman himself said when he started he did not think swimming would be as difficult as it ended up being.

"I didn't realize it was a lot more work than I thought it was," he said, chuckling. "But I worked hard at it and gotten used to it. ... It's pretty fun. I like it. It's a good time."

Goodman, who has participated in a variety of sports throughout his life, including basketball, football and soccer, said swimming is something he always wanted to try. He said this fall he would like to compete in short-distance races.

"I'm not very good with long-distance swimming," he said.

Dustin Kaminskey will be returning to the pool after a car accident during April 2006 left him seriously injured and threatened his swimming career.