Home › Sports › High School
Albuquerque High's Jake Mortensen's swimming life has been full of small improvements
Photo by Craig FritzTribune
Tribune
Albuquerque High swimmer Jake Mortensen waits for coach Jimmy Phillips' instructions during practice. A quiet competitor, Mortensen is one of the state's top-three swimmers in three events. "Jake's very reserved," said Phillips. "That's the way he is in front of his parents, his teachers, his friends. It doesn't matter who it is. But he is an extraordinarily smart trainer and smart competitor." His 200-meter individual medley time is more than two seconds faster than the next-closest swimmer's.
Photo by Craig FritzTribune
Tribune
Jake Mortensen pushes off the wall while swimming laps at Highland Pool. The Albuquerque High swimmer is one of the state's best heading into this weekend's APS swimming and diving tournament.
If you go
What: APS Boys District Swimming and Diving Tournament
When: Friday (diving) and Saturday (swimming). The swimming events start at 2 p.m. The diving schedule has yet to be determined.
Where: Sandia High (diving) and West Mesa Aquatic Center (swimming)
Who: Teams from all 12 APS high schools
Making a splash
Each of these swimmers (or relay teams) is ranked among the state's top three in their event. They are scheduled to compete at the APS Tournament.
Jake Mortensen, Albuquerque High: 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke
Nathan Heerman, Eldorado: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Ethan Fine, La Cueva: 100 breast stroke
La Cueva: 200 freestyle relay team
Albuquerque High: 200 medley relay team
Eldorado: 400 freestyle relay
More High School
- Richard Stevens: Faces I'll remember are the smallest ones
- Michael Garcia: Here's to you, athletes, coaches and friends. These memories - and lessons - will last forever.
- Tribune sports: Five faves
MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES
-
ABQTrib.com to remain available
08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008 -
Congressman is indicted
08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008 -
Series of attacks target Green Zone
08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008 -
Iran is defying U.N., agency says
08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008 -
Waterboarding approval probed
08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008
TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*
- Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
- Is Rome Burning?
- Ominous Skies
- The Road to Invalidation
- Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.
STORY TOOLS
SHARE THIS STORY [?]
Bouncing off the walls are the typical sounds of swim practice.
Splashing. Talking. Laughing. A coach barking and whistling.
As these familiar noises and opportunities to socialize swirl around Albuquerque High standout Jake Mortensen, he stays silent.
"He's always thinking," said Bulldogs coach Jimmy Phillips.
This quiet, observation-based learning style has served the sophomore well.
Heading into the APS Boys Swimming and Diving Tournament, Mortensen is ranked among the state's top three in three events. The Jimi Hendrix fan, who dabbles in guitar, also swims a leg on AHS's 200 medley relay team.
According to DirectAthletics.com, the Web site that tracks state qualifiers, Mortensen has the fastest time in the 200-meter individual medley. More than two seconds separates Mortensen from his nearest competition.
"I'm pretty confident in the 200 IM," Mortensen said when asked about his chances for his first state title. "Hopefully I get a second place in the 100 back."
Such finishes would be fitting for Mortensen. They would represent another small improvement in a swimming life that has been full of them (last season he took second and third in those events, respectively). He is consistent that way.
Said Phillips: "Jake's a hard kid to read. First of all, he's real quiet. He's very reserved. That's the way he is in front of his parents, his teachers, his friends. It doesn't matter who it is. But he is an extraordinarily smart trainer and smart competitor."
Would you expect anything else from a kid with a 4.4 grade-point average and a bureau filled with awards from science and engineering competitions he entered in middle school?
He may be the smartest on a team that seems more bookworm that Bulldog. Phillips teaches honors math classes at AHS. He said each of his athletes has or will be in his classes at some point.
For Mortensen, that translates to the pool. Sure, it helps that Mortensen's father swam collegiately. The fact that he started swimming year-round for club at age 6 is also a factor in his success.
But Phillips credits Mortensen's ability to maximize his training.
It's scientific.
"He'll know how to tweak it just right for his own personal gains," Phillips said. "He understands the sport. He understands how to build a season. I think he'd be a great coach."
More likely though, is that Mortensen will become a civil engineer.
