JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Blakely Hammel loves the challenge and racing the clock.
There’s only so much time in a day, either on land or in the swimming pool, that the Episcopal junior tries to squeeze the very most out of it.
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Hammel, the Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls swimmer of the year, defended her title in the 100 free and added a title in the 200 free by slicing nearly 3 full seconds from her best time. As an elite athlete in a sport that demands no short cuts, Hammel has gotten quite adept at facing them head on and raising the stakes.
If practice starts at 5:30, Hammel is there 10 minutes early to get a head start. If it is supposed to end at 6:30, Hammel will stay in a few minutes longer to get a bit more work. Every lap and stroke goes into the swimming bank account. And when she’s kicking in the final few meters to fend off a fast-charging challenger like she did in the 200 free, that’s when those early mornings and late nights of extra work pay off.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best I can be. I feel like it’s a really good thing because I mean, I’m pushing myself all the time, whether it’s in practice, me, just in general,” she said. “It’s a really important thing, too. But yeah, it’s very demanding.”
Hammel, a junior who has already committed to the University of Florida, is a two-time first-team selection on the All-News4JAX team. What it takes to become an athlete at that level isn’t for the faint.
A typical week for Hammel includes three days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) of two-a-day practices. The first, an hour and a half practice, begins at 5:30 a.m. The second practice runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, swim practice runs for two and a half hours. That doesn’t even factor in the homework at Episcopal, one of the most prestigious academic schools around.
Hammel runs through her schedule and almost realizes how overwhelming it sounds before saying how much that she loves the challenge of facing it all head on and getting it done.
“I wouldn’t say [competitions] are easy, but I mean, the training, especially like this week we just had, it was very demanding. It was very hard,” she said. “But it’s the highlight of my week socially, and then just, I’m getting to be somewhere I really love. So, I guess you could call that the easiest part. But when I’m there, it’s definitely not an easy practice.”
Hammel pushes herself to compete like she practices, which is why she’s won three individual events the last two years. She went back to back to win the 100 free in 49.62, edging Bolles star Allison Kelly (49.72). But winning the 200 free was a massive achievement for Hammel because she didn’t swim that event at state last year.
“I had to move. I had to work. When I finished and touched the wall, especially in the 2[00] free, when I saw the time, my jaw just dropped,” she said. “Got out of the pool, Coach [Martin] Zubero was behind the blocks, and I just remember jumping up and down, just so happy because I just dropped like 4 seconds [from her best time]. … I wished I did a little better [time in the 100 free] but it was great. I can’t complain. I worked so hard for it and there’s more to be done.”
There’s another season of high school that awaits, and Hammel knows that the challengers will be back and even stronger for her to have to stay in front of.
“There were some girls getting pretty close [to her in the 100 and 200], but ... it helps me. It pushes them. It pushes me,” she said. “It just ... it helps everyone, which that’s the best part about the sport. Everyone is just pushing each other, because we’re all just trying to drop time in the end.”
Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls swimming
First team
Athlete, School, Class, Notable
Juliana Cavalcanti, Ponte Vedra, So.
State champ in the 200 IM (2:02.03). Fourth in the 100 back (57.84).
Anna Driesse, Nease, Jr.
State champ in the 100 breast who clocked best time in prelims (1:04.58). Third in 200 IM and swam best time in prelims (2:05.63).
Sophie Fox, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
State runner-up in 100 fly (55.03). Fourth in 50 free whose best time came in the prelims (23.99). Anchor leg of state champ 200 medley relay team. Lead leg of the 200 free relay team. South Carolina signee.
Jenna Frost, Bartram Trail, Jr.
State runner-up in 500 free (4:52.31). Third in 200 free (1:49.17). Committed to Ohio State University.
Blakely Hammel, Episcopal, Jr.
All-News4JAX swimmer of the year. State champ in the 200 free (1:45.69) in a time that’s second in the nation. State champ in the 100 free (49.62) in a time that ranks 12th in the country. Committed to University of Florida.
Allison Kelly, Bolles, So.
State runner-up in the 100 free (49.72) in 14th-fastest time in the country. Runner-up in the 200 free (1:45.80) with a time that ranks third in the US. Lead leg of state champ 400 free relay team.
Riley Miller, Bolles, Sr.
Cincinnati signee. State champ in 50 free (23.22). Third in 100 free (50.66). Also swam on championship 200 medley and 200 free relay teams.
Ainsley Stephan, Bolles, Sr.
State champ in the 100 fly (53.40) in sixth-fastest time in the country. Fourth in the 200 free (1:49.06). Also on the state champ 400 free relay team.
Heidi Stoute, Bolles, Jr.
Committed to Miami. State champ in the 500 free (4:55.03) and third in the 200 free (1:48.67).
Giana Vasto, Bolles, So.
State champ in diving with a score of 465.55.
Eva Whitehead, Union County, Sr.
University of Alabama signee is most decorated swimmer in program history. State champ in 200 IM (2:00.11) and runner-up in 100 breast (1:03.09).
Second team
Athlete, School, Class, Notable
Leah Chin, Bolles, Jr.
Runner-up in 50 free who turned in automatic All-American time of 22.99 in the prelims. Anchor leg of champion 200 medley relay and lead of 200 free relay champ. Seventh in 100 back.
Juliana Costantini, Bolles, Jr.
Sixth in 100 breast whose best time (1:03.86) was in the prelims. Fifth in 200 IM where her best time also came in prelims (2:03.92), a time earning All-American consideration.
Lily Doyle, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Third in 500 free (4:54.40) and fourth in 200 free (1:50.80). Anchor of runner-up 200 free relay and on third-place 400 free relay team. Signed with Duke.
Victoria Edgar, Bolles, Sr.
Seventh in 100 breast (1:04). Swam on state champ 200 medley relay team.
Ella Gotham, Bolles, Sr.
State runner-up in the 200 IM (2:01.63). Third in 100 back. Anchor leg of state champ 400 free relay team. Headed to Liberty University.
Ana LaRosa, Bolles, So.
Fourth in 100 breast (1:03.56) with a time earning All-American consideration.
Emmie Lewis, Creekside, Jr.
Third in 50 free who turned in PR (23.28) in the prelims and earned All-American consideration. Seventh in 100 free. Swam on third-place 400 free relay and led off the 200 free relay team which finished fourth with All-American consideration time.
Gabriella Marim, Stanton, Sr.
Third in 100 breast whose best time (1:03.92) came in prelims. Fourth in 200 IM (2:09.20). Anchor on state runner-up 400 free relay team. West Virginia signee.
Lucero Mejia Arce, Bolles, Sr.
Indiana signee. Swam lead leg of champ 200 medley relay team and anchor of state champ 200 free relay team, both in automatic All-American times.
Kate Pelot, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Third in 100 back (56.76) and fourth in 100 free (52.42). Lead leg of 200 medley relay that won state, and also on runner-up 200 free relay team.
Savannah Petrosevich, Nease, Jr.
Finished third in 3A state meet in diving, racking up 416.25 points for the Panthers.
Honorable mention
Sabrina Avila, Stanton, Fr.
Hale Aschenbrenner, Providence, Sr.
Blake Beaver, Creekside, Fr.
Grace Campbell, Bishop Kenny, Sr.
Monica DiGaetani, Wolfson, Sr.
Ella Fallyer, Atlantic Coast, So.
Cora Foxwell-Jones, Fernandina Beach, Sr.
Elle Loehr, Fleming Island, Sr.
Ainsley MacAdams, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Caroline MacDonald, Providence, Sr.
Marianna Myers, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Sophia Oldham, Creekside, Jr.
Lucy Page, Stanton, So.
Ava Pell, Ponte Vedra, So.
Sydney Player, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Rileigh Revere, Fernandina Beach, Jr.
Skylar Revere, Fernandina Beach, Fr.
Julia Richardson, Stanton, So.
Makayla Taggart, Creekside, Fr.
Kailah Thompson, Yulee, So.
Mady Tulloch, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Summer VanWagenen, Fleming Island, Jr.
Kinsey Yarbrough, Fleming Island, Jr.