State record swimmer Kirsten Jacobsen dominates club sport
State record swimmer Kirsten Jacobsen dominates club sport
By TARAH THORNE
Barrington High School swimmer Kirsten Jacobsen has not had much of a break since shattering state records in the Illinois High School Association girls swimming finals this past November.
Jacobsen has just returned from a National Club Swimming Association meet in Orlando, Fla. She medaled in three final races, placing eighth in the 200-yard freestyle, fifth in the 500-yard freestyle and fourth in the one-mile swim. She also swam a state-record one-mile time for her 16-year-old age group, qualifying for senior nationals.
Barrington Suburban Life reporter Tarah Thorne asked Jacobsen more about her training schedule, outside hobbies and long-term goals.
Thorne: How often do you practice and compete for club? Are other Barrington High School swimmers involved?
Jacobsen: I have practice six days a week, usually for about four to five hours each day. We only compete about once a month for club, unless it’s toward the end of our season. Most of the girls that swim on Varsity for BHS swim for my club as well.
Thorne: You broke the state record set in 2013 in the 200-yard freestyle. As a sophomore, you have a promising swim career ahead yet. What are your goals?
Jacobsen: Improving my times is always the goal when I’m going into a new season, whether it be for club or high school. I do plan on swimming in college and am starting to look at possible colleges to swim at.
Thorne: You’re a two-time state champion in the 500-yard freestyle and most recently placed first in the state for club swimming in the 100- and 500-yard freestyle races.
How do these sprint and distance races challenge you differently? Do you train differently for short and long races?
Jacobsen: Distance races are all about trying to go a certain pace for an extended amount of time, whereas sprint races are all about going as fast and hard as you can for a short amount of time.
I mainly struggle with sprint races because I cannot move my arms and legs very fast in the water.
For club, Mondays are distance days, where we focus on swimming longer distances and working on pacing for those longer distances. On Fridays, we have our sprint days, where we focus on short, fast paced workouts to help with our sprint races and relays.
Thorne: Do you have any break before high school swim starts again? What will you do in your time off?
Jacobsen: My club swims year-round, so although we have our summer season and winter season, I never really have time off. I usually like to just relax, sleep and watch movies when I do catch a break.
Thorne: Have you improved your race times at all while club swimming? How does the competition differ from high school swimming?
Jacobsen: My competition in club is much different than high school, especially when I’m swimming at a national level meet where I could swim a best time in some events and still end up in 150th place.
Not only that, but I also swim a bunch of different events such as 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke during club season. Whereas in high school season, I usually stick to the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle, and sometimes the 100 butterfly.
Thorne: Have you ever played any other sports? When did you find your passion in swimming?
Jacobsen: As a kid, I tried a bunch of different sports like gymnastics, tennis, soccer, diving, swimming, volleyball and basketball. But I really only stuck to basketball and swimming after third grade.
I played travel basketball from about fourth grade through eighth grade and have been swimming since I was about 6-years-old.
After eighth grade, my parents told me I had to choose which sport I wanted to do and I chose swimming mostly because I didn’t really like the physical contact aspect of basketball.
My passion for swimming really developed around that time because we got a new club coach, Rob Emary, so I was spending a lot more time in the pool and was becoming better and better at it.
Thorne: Any advice for younger swimmers? How have you overcame obstacles?
Jacobsen: I would just say, “Have fun with it, no matter how exhausted you are from all the hard work and practices. The most important thing is that you love what you’re doing and you’re having fun with the sport and your teammates.”
Staying positive has really helped me through the years, especially after a bad race or not achieving a best time. Keeping my head up has really helped me progress and learn from mistakes.
Thorne: Any other hobbies or interests?
Jacobsen: In summer, I love laying outside in the hammock or taking our canoe out on a lake by my house. I also love to read books and watch movies.
Thorne: What’s been most rewarding? Most challenging?
Jacobsen: Winning the 500 free at the high school state championship my freshman year was very exciting and unexpected. Getting up at 4:45 a.m. and jumping in a cold pool can be challenging. Keeping up with school work is also a challenge. I have to manage my time.
Thorne: What are you most looking forward to this spring?
Jacobsen: I have a Grand Prix meet in Mesa, Ariz. in late April that should be very exciting and will determine my summer swimming opportunities. Lots of Olympians compete at this meet.
Junior nationals is in Southern California [and] will be in late July.
