Washburn ready to make the level change to Junior nationals

To watch his movements through the water is a thing of beauty, like watching a trout glide through a rippleless pool. His stroke efficiency is truly poetry in motion.

Swimming is not necessarily who he is, but it is, without question, what he is.

Zach Washburn has been a competitive swimmer for half a lifetime, working his way through the national level standards — age group zones, senior zones, junior nationals, senior nationals and Olympic Trials with an end game of becoming a U.S. Olympian.

Each level change requires a faster swim to meet a faster qualifying standard.

In December, the 15-year-old will become the youngest swimmer from Moses Lake to ever compete in the Speedo Winter Junior Nationals-West at Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas, with swims in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 freestyle. Washburn is the first since 1999 graduate Nick Jarman qualified as a junior.

“It definitely takes faster times with each level change and I take pride in myself for getting there. This will be my first time going against this caliber of opponents, going against older, more experienced swimmers,” said Washburn, who holds Moses Lake school records in the 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and is a member of the school record 4x400 relay. “The motivation is to stay with them, to measure where I am as a (sophomore) and see what I have to do to improve.”

Washburn qualified for Junior Nationals with some quality swims at the senior zones in Clovis, Calif., last summer where he clocked 24.10 seconds in the 50 freestyle and 53.18 in the 100 freestyle. All of that will be put to the test Dec. 5-8 in Texas.

“It all comes down to training and the quality of training I’m willing to put in. It’s all about prep work and being ready to race like you train. If you don’t give it everything you have in practice, you’re never going to get anywhere,” said Washburn, who’s the only freshman in Moses Lake history to meet the qualifying standard in all eight 4A state events.

1996 Moses Lake graduate Aaron Fitterer was the fastest swimmer to come out of Moses Lake, according to long-time coach Tony St. Onge. Fitterer was a state champion, state record holder, a national junior college champion and junior college All-American. He earned four individual gold medals and three relay medals during his tenure for Moses Lake.

Then there’s 1999 graduate Nick Jarman, who did more with less than any other swimmer in Moses Lake history He was the last Chief to go to junior nationals. Jarman was considered the best all-around swimmer ever come out of Moses Lake. He was a finalist in the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke all four years and was named the Eastern Washington swimmer of the year in 1999.

St. Onge has seen some pretty good ones, and knows he’s got another special one in the Chiefs sophomore.

“Zach had a God-given and natural feel for the water,” he said. “He can warm up faster than other people swim during the race.

“When you watch him swim, he just seems to do it so effortlessly compared to everybody else. He’s streamlined his movements through the water with his hands properly. He makes it look easy because of his stroke efficiency. He has all the key ingredients, he just needs more training to be great.”

But it’s heart, competitive nature, the drive not to lose, that makes him tick, Washburn said.

“I want to be one of the best in the nation. Making the level change is based on how hard you’re willing to work,” he said. “In swimming, it’s all about the time. That’s the end result.

“But once I go off the blocks and it’s just me (and no teammates), my highest driving force is the person next to me and the person on the other side of him. I don’t like to get beat and trying to be the best is what forces me to work harder and harder.”

You can get to the Olympic Games from Moses Lake, you have to go through the progression and make the sacrifices. A little God-given talent doesn’t hurt, but who you are on race day is determined by the work ethic you have when no one’s watching.