Making his third trip to the Class 5A state swim meet this week, Amarillo High’s Alec Purdy is definitely relying on past experience as a benefit, but not necessarily in the traditional sense.
Purdy will go to Austin’s Joe Jamail Swimming Center at the University of Texas on Friday afternoon again as an individual qualifier and as part of two relay teams in the prelims. It’s the third straight year the junior has made the state meet, and the second straight in which he’s qualified in three events.
He’s the fourth seed in the 100-yard butterfly, which puts him in definite contention for a top three finish and a medal on the podium. However, it took a lesson from last month to spark Purdy’s run toward a medal this week.
“I completely understand because I’ve been the other two years what I need to do to make it to state and do well,” Purdy said. “My goal at the beginning of the year was to win the 100 back and podium in the 100 fly, but because of how things turned out that didn’t get to happen yet. Because of what happened at district I redid my goal where I could do the best I can.”
That’s because of what happened (or maybe didn’t happen) in late January at the District 3-5A meet at the Amarillo Town Club. Purdy was a prohibitive favorite to win the 100 backstroke, an event in which, along with the 100 fly, he made the state meet last year.
Purdy swam a winning time in the event by a big margin, but it was ruled he left the starting block early and was disqualified. AHS teammate Lance Dykhouse won the event instead, and Purdy’s window of opportunity to reach the state meet was reduced.
But it was hardly closed.
“Once it happened you can’t really change the past, but ever since that did happen it kind of helped me focus more on what I need to do to be better at swimming and not just on one thing and be a little lousy,” Purdy said. “It helped me recover with a fresh start. It took the 100 back off my hands and I was very disappointed at myself for it, so it helped me a lot with everything all over the board.”
Last year Purdy qualified for state in both the 100 fly and 100 free. He made the finals in both events and finished sixth in both events.
AHS coach Ron Lee expected Purdy to do something similar this year, if not better.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Lee said. “I have really high hopes that he’s going to podium finish. I think he’s got a chance to win the 100 fly.”
On paper, Purdy definitely does. He won the Region I-5A event in Lubbock with a time of 50.25 seconds, only .21 seconds behind top seed Landon Fike of Dallas Wilson.
“I wanted to be below 50 in the 100 fly and that didn’t happen, but I was close enough that I think I can do it at state,” Purdy said. “One of my friends is the top seed and his best time is a second faster than his current one.
“Based off of last year I thought I could get a medal because not a lot of crazy fast swimmers show up out of nowhere, but this year I looked after regionals and 1 through 11 is less than a second apart. I was a little shocked at that.”
Having to focus on just one individual event made Purdy better for the 100 fly, but he still hasn’t cracked the magic 50-second barrier. He feels that he needs to do that to have a chance to win a medal.
That, and make better turns.
“At regionals I did some very bad turns on the 100 fly and I believe that could have been the reason I didn’t break 50 and that’s why my seed is a little bit lower than it could be,” Purdy said. “It’s definitely been on my mind. My mom usually records my races and sends them over to show what I’m doing and I know what doesn’t look right.”
Cleaning up those things for state has been job one for Purdy the last two weeks. The false start at the district meet was just the first incentive to improve.
Lee has noticed Purdy’s desire to get better every day in practice.
“I set my expectations for him for the state meet,” said Lee of Purdy. “One of the things he’s really shined at that we’ve been working together on is taking ownership of your swimming. He does that beautifully. If he misses practice in the morning he always comes in the afternoon and makes it up.”
In his third trip to Austin to end a high school season, Purdy has learned it’s a business trip. He’s treating it as such this week and has some definite numbers in mind.
“Every time I’ve been to Austin I’ve always focused on my swimming first,” Purdy said. “Any meet I go to I’ll be nervous, but it’s not the bad nerves. I’m getting the adrenaline nerves to do well in swimming and it helps me.”
“I do care where I finish. I need to medal in state, especially this year. I’m trying to be around low 49 or 48 possibly.”
Relays aiming to make second day
What’s also familiar to Purdy is participating on two relay teams. Amarillo High won the 200 medley relay at regionals with a time of 1:39.13 and is seeded 13th.
Naturally, Purdy will be the first one in the water in the first boys event of the day, swimming the backstroke leg. He’ll be followed by three seniors, Bradley Bontrager swimming the backstroke, Wyatt Wilburn the butterfly and Lance Dykhouse the freestyle.
Last year, Purdy, Wilburn and Dykhouse went to state as part of the 200 free relay team, ironically, the one of the three relays in which Amarillo High didn’t qualify for state this year.
That same trio will also swim the last three legs of the 400 free relay to end the day. Sophomore James Drozell will swim the leadoff leg for the quartet, which finished second at regionals in 3:15.77, making them the No. 14 seed in the field.
Lee is just hoping the two relays won’t just be happy to make the trip.
“Their focus needs more focus,” Lee said. “That’s my goal for them right now and that’s what I’m talking to them about. We have some guys with the mindset that we’ve already made it because the goal was to get to state so now it’s shifting to perform well at state.
“We’ve got to not see it as a goal we’ve already accomplished but see it as work that needs to be done. I think that as it is right now if they do the same times they’ve turned in it will mean a second swim on Saturday, but to drop time to get into the top 12 or top eight we’re going to have to have some remarkable swims.”
It should be no surprise that Purdy will be the last one in and out of the water as well. He’s swimming the anchor leg in the 400 free relay.
His philosophy for that is fairly simple.
“In the 400 free I have to bring it home,” Purdy said.
Lee thinks the order of the events will work in favor of both Purdy and the team.
“Swimming the medley relay will be a good warm up for (Purdy) for the 100 fly and having him anchor on the 400 relay is going to do nothing but put a carrot on the stick for him to reel some people in and do really well,” Lee said.