By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
When Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Jonathan Ashford stepped to the blocks for the 200-yard breaststroke, he wasn’t just going to jump in the pool and hope for the best.
He was ready to swim angry.
“I was kind of mad,” Ashford said. “I wasn’t going to let them take another one away from me.”
A third-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle left a sour taste in Ashford’s mouth and gave him a final shot at his third trip to the UIL state swimming & diving meet in Austin. He qualified in the 100 breaststroke event in 2013, and the 50-yard freestyle and 100 breastroke events in 2015.
Ashford is the type of swimmer who thrives on confidence and having eyes on him while he cuts through the water.
Pressure isn’t something the senior swimmer feels at this point in his career.
“I like having everyone here, watching me,” Ashford said. “I like showing off. That’s what makes me competitive. I’m like, ‘All right, all right. I’m going to show off in front of all of these people.’”
He won the event with a time of 59.39 seconds, and it wasn’t close. The runner-up finished more than three seconds behind him.
That attitude is a good reason why he’s become Brownsville Veterans’ most successful swimmer. Having the spotlight makes him swim harder, and fearless.
“That’s super important because when it’s just me swimming in a pool by myself I don’t have anything to prove, but when I have people watching me that’s when the nerves kick in and I’m like, ‘All right, I’ve got to do this,’” Ashford said.
Coach Frank Sanchez hopes Ashford can be the foundation for the school’s swimming program.
“I think it’s kind of a double-edged sword because there’s a lot of pressure because he has to live up to certain standards, but it doesn’t bother him too much,” Sanchez said. “So on the other aspect, he sets an example to everybody and he kind of sets the foundation for our program, for other kids hopefully who are interested in swimming or want to kind of follow that path.
“They’ll see (Ashford) at the pool or in the paper and kind of follow those footsteps and be more interested in the sport, which is a sport I think needs to be more publicized in our city.”
Ashford is looking to bring his 100 breastroke time down to the 58s at state. Sanchez is looking for a top-eight finish from the senior and thinks a top-five finish is within reach.
“I think he’s worked really hard,” Sanchez said. “I think that the times he’s already had could be lower. If he can break into the top five that would be a fantastic swim for him, and it’s a good way to end his senior year, I think.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.