While Bulldog swimmer Jonathan Darnell came .89 of a second away from his ultimate goal of a state championship in the 100-yard backstroke Saturday, the senior has no regrets.
Darnell brought a close to a stellar high-school career at Albuquerque Academy, finishing with a silver medal in the backstroke and a fourth-place showing in the 100-yard butterfly.
“I was happy with it,” Darnell said. “I just went out there and had fun, and did my best.”
Darnell’s best frequently awed everyone from his own coaches to opposing coaches to his competition, most of whom were aware of the fact the senior has had no home pool in which to practice since the Artesia High School Natatorium was demolished in the summer of 2014. Forced to make do with limited practice time at the FLETC, Darnell largely honed his skills mid-competition, making his performances this weekend more impressive still.
“It was a good meet, a lot of good swimmers,” Artesia coach Shelley Ebarb said Saturday. “He was swimming with the best in the state, and he was one of them. And he doesn’t get to swim nearly as much as they do, but apparently it didn’t hurt him too much.”
Darnell touched the wall just behind Cibola’s Joshua Harlan in the backstroke with a time of 51.72 and posted a 51.21 in the butterfly. He earned the top preliminary time in both events Friday with a 50.91 in the fly and a 51.13 in the back.
“His times yesterday were new school records,” said Ebarb. “He was just a hair off today, but you can’t ask any more than what he gave. He had a good time, and we had a good time watching him.
“We’ve had him since he was a puppy, and it’s been great having a swimmer like him. It’ll be nice when he goes to college and is able to have more time to practice. I’m sure he’s nowhere near his potential yet.”
Darnell was pleased overall with his races on the weekend.
“I definitely would’ve liked to have won, but I’m not defined by one race,” said the senior. “I just enjoyed it. It’s definitely been a blessing to have great coaches and to get to impact a lot of people’s lives.”
Ebarb said he left his typical mark on those in attendance at the state meet.
“Clovis’ team invited him to their banquet, and the timer where he swam most of the weekend said, ‘Is that your kid? Because he’s the nicest kid,’” she laughed.
Darnell will continue his swimming career next season as a member of the Wayland Baptist University team.
“I’m hoping to get faster and have a little bit more time to practice, but I really again just want to be a light and impact people’s lives in college, also,” Darnell said.
Ebarb assures he’s done just that for his teammates and future swimmers in Artesia.
“I’m hoping this inspires more kids to swim,” she said. “We’re not going to just quit because we don’t have a pool. We’re going to keep plugging along, doing the best we can, and hoping to see more talent come along. They sure make it fun.”
