Girls Swim and Dive Preview: Barrington�s Jacobsen a state threat again
Girls Swim and Dive Preview: Barrington’s Jacobsen a state threat again
BARRINGTON — A combination of factors made Barrington’s Kirsten Jacobsen a freshman state swimming champion.
First, her frame. Standing 6-foot tall, Jacobsen holds an advantage whenever she is in the pool.
“She takes less strokes per length of the pool than her competitors,” Fillies coach Jim Bart said. “When you can take two strokes compared with three, that’s going to help.”
That physical advantage was noticeable in the 500-yard freestyle finals last November. A close race until the final 200, Jacobsen separated herself from the smaller Morgan Dickson of Libertyville to win the race by 1.5 seconds.
Another factor in Jacobsen’s meteoric rise is her work ethic. Jacobsen’s talent — which is abundant — would be unsustainable without her commitment to log the practice laps. How’s this for a summer schedule: nine practices a week, between 20 and 23 hours in the pool. That was Jacobsen’s routine with the Barrington Swim Club from June until the high school season began. Now that she’s swimming with the Fillies, it’s two-a-day sessions three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), with a morning session that begins at 5:25 a.m.
“It’s difficult waking up in the morning and get yourself (to the pool) and go back to school,” Jacobsen said. “But I’m doing something I love and I have so much fun with it.”
Not to mention success. Proving her versatility, Jacobsen finished third in the 200 free at the state meet last fall. She also anchored the Fillies’ ninth-place 200 free relay team. In the winter and spring club seasons, Jacobsen won state titles in the 100 free and mile.
That brings up the third element of her success. Jacobsen is not a nervous person. Having swam in many high-level events in her young career, she understands pressure. But rather than let the moment overtake her emotions, she possesses enough emotional intelligence to use tension to her advantage.
“(Jacobsen) thrives on the opportunity to race,” said Rob Emery, a coach at the Barrington Swim Club. “She has strong mental tools in a racing environment. The bigger the stage, the better she is with it.”
Jacobsen credits her older sister, Anne, for contributing to her calm demeanor on the deck. A 2011 graduate of Barrington, Ann Jacobsen now swims for UIC.
“She was always supportive of me, and I watched her in high school and saw how much fun she had,” Kirsten Jacobsen said.
She proves her lack of timidness with a bold prediction for the rest of her high school career.
“The 500 is my favorite event. I’m looking to break the state record,” Kirsten Jacobsen said. “Hopefully I can do it.”
OUTLOOK
Barrington returns several key members from last season’s ninth-place state meet squad. Senior Olivia Hoffman is back after qualifying for state in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. Relay specialist Andrea Vega, a junior, also returns, as does senior state-qualifying diver Tiffany Soto.
“We’ve got talent and a few holes to fill but we are confident we can fill those up,” Bart said.
