PORT ANGELES — Jaine Macias had a lot of success, but self-doubt and frustration did make appearances during the girls swimming and diving season.
“In the middle of it, I really wasn’t seeing improvement,” the Port Angeles sophomore swimmer said.
“I was like, why am I even swimming in high school?”
But Macias kept swimming, and it paid off.
She placed second at districts and third at state in the 100-yard breaststroke, and second at districts and fifth at state in the 200 individual medley.
She helped the Roughriders’ 200 medley relay team set a district meet record and take sixth at state, and she swam with the 400 freestyle relay that finished second at districts and ninth at state.
Macias also has been voted All-Peninsula Girls Swimming MVP by area coaches and the Peninsula Daily News sports staff.
Despite the frustration, Macias never stopped working. True to form, according to Port Angeles coach Rich Butler.
“Jaine is probably one of the most consistent hard workers I’ve ever coached,” Butler said.
“Every single day, she wants to push the limits.
“She’s definitely a worker bee.”
Definitely.
Macias spent four to five hours swimming on an average day during the season.
There was high school practice for two hours, followed by at least an hour of practice with Port Angeles Swim Club, of which Macias has been a member since she was 5 years old.
This season, she also began swimming in the morning with her brother John from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. After that was an hour of weightlifting.
“It was really hard,” Macias said.
“A lot of times, [teammate] Carter [Juskevich] and I, we’d be standing in the shower in between high school and club practice, and we’d say we really just want to go home.”
But they kept at it, even during the midseason doldrums.
Macias said the key was reminding herself about her goals.
“I’m always thinking, if I do this extra, like if I swim this one morning that I don’t usually swim, I’m doing that much more than my competitors,” she said
“I just think of my goals and how much I want to get better.”
Macias also points out that she had a lot of assistance and encouragement while she worked.
There was Butler, Port Angeles Swim Club coaches Jessica Johnson and Nate Newberg, and her brother John Macias, who had two runner-up finishes at last month’s boys state meet.
And, of course, Juskevich, who was always there, training alongside Jaine Macias. (“Shoutout to her,” Macias said.)
Then, Macias said, there is the “wall of teammates cheering for you.”
“It’s an individual sport when you race, but training, it’s a team sport,” Macias said. “They’re right there with you.”
That teamwork and camaraderie helped the 200 medley relay team set a new district record.
“That was so exciting,” Macias said, adding that the time of 1:54.72 was three-tenths of a second shy of a school record.
“When we were swimming, we honestly didn’t think we were going to come close.
“And when we did, it clicked: Oh my gosh, we just broke the stinking record.”
Not fixating on breaking records and specific times during the postseason helped Macias after she struggled at the district meet her freshman year.
“It’s just kind of like a mindset,” Macias said. “Last year, I was telling myself, I need to swim fast.
“This year, I said, I don’t care what I get, I’m just going to smile and have fun with my teammates.”
Macias, who is home-schooled, said she wants to swim in college at the Division I level — though she said that would require even more of a commitment to swimming — and then work in a sports-related field for a career.
Before all that, though, she has two more years two swim with the Roughriders.
She’s looking to break some school records, both individually and in the relays, and she’ll work hard to do so.
“She’s one of those that’s always looking to improve her stroke. She’s definitely open to tweaking her technique,” Butler said.
“Her consistency is refreshing. As we get past midseason, some kids will get tired, some are not excited.
“Jaine is always there, ready to go.”
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
