STATE SWIMMING PREVIEW: Jackson’s Alana Pazevic is a water power

Published 11:22 pm Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Alana Pazevic is the complete package.

This season, the Jackson High School senior combined the mental, technical and physical aspects of swimming into the perfect combination, making her a dangerous foe in any race.

Pazevic will put her skills to the test at the Class 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships that get under way today and run through Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. It marks Pazevic’s fourth straight trip to state.

Starting as a freshman in 2006, she honed her techniques while winning multiple freestyle state championships and helping the Timberwolves capture the team title in 2008.

This season, her sixth year of competitive swimming, she turned her attention to the 100-yard butterfly and the backstroke events.

“Alana has always had a very special competitive drive,” said Jackson head coach Drew Whorley, who added that he has not seen a more skilled swimmer pass through the halls of Jackson High in his 12 seasons as coach. “She’s got a great swimming mind.”

The University of Florida-bound Pazevic warmed up for this weekend’s state tournament with two record-breaking performances at last weekend’s 4A District 1 meet. She broke the meet and Western Conference records in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke by more than a second each.

“After my techniques have changed (in the butterfly and backstroke) I just feel so much stronger in the water,” Pazevic said. “I’m really excited for state, it’s going to be really intense.”

She dismantled the 17-year old Wesco record in the 100 backstroke (57.21 seconds) with a time of 55.63 seconds.

“That (competitive drive) through her first couple of years was kind of what we nurtured to help generate fast swimming,” Whorley said. “… Now it’s all coming together, the mental and physical parts.”

Whorley said he thinks Pazevic’s times will continue to improve, especially as she moves on to Florida and its nationally renowned program.

The Gators, under head coach Gregg Troy, are consistent top 10 placers at the NCAA swimming and diving championships. The University of Florida also has developed Olympic talent, including four-time Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres — a veteran of five Olympic games.

“Florida is just such a fantastic opportunity,” said Whorley, adding that Pazevic bypassed offers from UCLA, Florida State, Indiana University and Louisiana State in favor of the Gators.

“I just want to see how far it (Florida’s coaching and program) is going to take me,” Pazevic said.

Pazevic enters her final state meet as the No. 3 seed in the 100 butterfly, behind Eastlake’s Katie Kinnear and Ballard junior Annemarie Thayer, and the top seed in the 100 backstroke.

Other area swimmers with hopes of climbing the medal stand at the championships include Kamiak senior Louise Moores, Marysville-Pilchuck freshman Hannah Taylor and Shorewood’s duo of Dana Michaels and Laurin Williams.

Moores, a 4A district champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle, is seeded eighth and sixth, respectively in the speed events.

Taylor, a freshman phenom who already holds seven individual school records, is seeded third in the 200 individual medley.

Michaels and Williams are third and fourth, respectively, in the 500 freestyle.

In the lower classifications, Glacier Peak junior Melissa Randolf is the No. 3 seed in Class 3A in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.

In 2A, Archbishop Murphy’s Amy Renslo is the No. 2 seed in the 100 butterfly and the No. 3 seed in the 200 individual medley.