Jackson senior swimmer sees hard work pay off

Even as a child, Tim Deyong's parents saw the potential in him as a swimmer.

"My parents told me that I'd be good at it," Deyong said. "They thought I had a good build for it.

They weren't wrong.

"Every since I started doing it, I fell in love with it. I really like the opportunity to work hard and see it pay off," Deyong said. "I really just like being in the water. I always enjoy training."

Fast forward to Jackson swimming's senior day on Monday, Oct. 23, at the SEMO Recreation Center, and there he was, standing tall, built like the prototypical collegiate swimmer.

"It's really a culmination of all of my efforts up until this point," Deyong said.

Deyong was the anchor of the Jackson 200-yard medley relay and started the 400-yard freestyle relay, both of which earned state consideration times. Deyong said he enjoys the pressure that comes with being the last leg of a relay.

"You're the last leg, so everyone is depending on you," Deyong said. "It's really a big burden but it's also a good opportunity because usually you're going to be trying to catch up to someone or fight someone off. It's a really close battle to really secure that time, a very important position and I'm honored to have it."

Deyong also earned state consideration in the 50y freestyle and 100y freestyle earlier in the season. There is extra urgency this year for the senior to finish his career at the state championships.

"It would mean a lot because it's my last chance to do it," Deyong said. "I'm hoping to qualify in as many events as I possibly can. It would be really great to see my work pay off that way."

Deyong is hoping to swim collegiately and has submitted recruiting forms to certain schools. He will at least have one more chance to make an impression in the SEMO Conference meet on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at Southeast Missouri State.

Jackson senior swimmer Tim Deyong after a race against Notre Dame and Saxony Lutheran on Monday, Oct. 23, at the SEMO Recreation Center.Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com