Brashear grad stands tall in pool for Saint Vincent
Tri-State Sports & News Service
At Saint Vincent College, there is debate over the height ofstar swimmer Jacob Davis.
Coach Josh Gurekovich claims the Brashear High graduate is 6 feet 8. Davis insistshe’s “only” 6-7.
“And his mom says he’s 6-7 andthree quarters,” Gurekovichsaid, laughing.
The three can quibble if they must, but there is no debating the fact Davis stands tall among Division III swimmers.
This towering junior ranks fifth nationally in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 44.36; eighth in the 50 freestyle at 20.29; 28th in the 200 freestyleat 1:39.88.
The top times in those events are held by Spencer Marquardt of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (43.84), Oliver Smith of Emory (19.69) and Brandon Fabian of Johns Hopkins (1:37.41), respectively.
“When people see me, they ask if I play basketball or football,” Davis said. “I’ve been hearingit my entire life.” Fairquestion? “I can understand,” said Davis, a three-sport athlete in baseball, soccer and swimmingat Brashear. “When I tell them I’m a swimmer, they say,‘Oh. Makes sense.’”
From March 21-24 at the NCAA championships in Indianapolis, Davis hopes to make an impact as a first-time qualifier in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle. The top eight finishers earn All-America honors.
“The ultimate goal is to win, but if we can come away with a couple All-Americans, that would make it a pretty good weekend,” said Gurekovich, who started the Saint Vincent program 13 years ago.
Given how Davis performed at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships in mid-February, he appears to be peaking at the right time. He won the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, all in schoolrecordtimes and a PAC championship record in the 100. He was also part of victories in the200 and 400 free relays.
Davis was named the PAC Men’s Swimmer of the Year, a first for a Saint Vincent athlete.
“Winning that honor allows me to help push the program and make it more wellknown,” said Davis, a threetime All-PAC first-team selection. “Our school is known for the basketball team; swimming is on the backburner. But the program is growing every year and its getting morenotice.”
Davis’ collegiate success is somewhat of a surprise, given he did not race competitively until the eighth grade. In high school, he never won a championship, whether it was in the City League as a ninth and 10th grader, in District 10 as a junioror in the WPIAL as a senior. (The City League ceased holding championships after Davis’sophomore season).
“I think I finished 20th in the 100 free at the WPIALs my senior year,” said Davis, a secondand third-place finisher in City competition. “I did not dowell. I didn’t do well, at all.”
This could have shattered Davis’ confidence, but it had the opposite effect. It forced him to re-focus and train harderto pursue greatness.
“Had to keep moving,” said Davis, a Green Tree resident who began swimming competitively with the now-defunct Pittsburgh Stingrays under coach Hosea Holder. “In college, I have different coaching and teammates who push me. I race the clock every day. I’m always looking to bethe best.”
Standing 6-7 (or is it 6-8?) comes with advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, Davis uses fewer strokes (a great benefit in shorter races) and extends farther than most coming out of the starting blocks. On the downside, kick turns are a challenge because he’s less compact.
An international relations major with a minor in global communications, Davis credited Saint Vincent freshman Zach Baum (Derry Area) for pushing him this season. At the PAC championships, Baum registered individual victories in the 200 medley (1:53.06, school and pool record), 100 butterfly (49.29, school, pool and PAC meet record) and 200 butterfly (1:53.47,school record). He was also part of the Bearcats’ winning200 and 400 free relays.
Baum could potentially receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA championships, but Gurekovich believes that is more likely to occur in comingseasons.
Davis, meantime, will be therein a few short weeks.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Davis said. “I’m still absorbing it all, I guess. It’s been three long years of working for this. So, it’s unreal to be nationally ranked and going to the championships. I’m assuming when I get there, it will all hit me. This is pretty unbelievable.”