February 16, 2018 at 12:44 p.m.
Soldiering to swim: Kovac's military aspirations led him to RHS swim team
Soldiering to swim: Kovac's military aspirations led him to RHS swim team
In the grand scheme of competitive swimming, a sub-eight minute time in the 500 in nothing to write home about. It took a time of 5:08.70 to qualify for last night's WIAA Division 2 state meet and Monona Grove's Ben McDade, the fastest in the state this year, did it in a time of 4:36.
But for Kovac, who started swimming competitively in November, that time of 7:53 meant everything.
Kovac had ulterior motives when he decided to join the Hodag swim team. He didn't join looking to become a conference champion or a state qualifier, as many of his teammates did. Kovac joined with an eye toward his future.
"I came to swimming pretty much so I could get my time for pararescue," said Kovac, who is in the process of enlisting in the United States Air Force. "At first I was looking at the Army, because it seemed cool to me but, slowly my dad kind of helped me think it through. Pararescue, after training you leave with a degree, which a lot of jobs in the military you don't. That kind of won me over because I could leave with a job that I could use."
There are a number of requirements for acceptance into the Air Force's pararescue/parajumper program, one of which is to pass what's referred to as the PAST, or Physical Ability and Stamina Test.
Kovac knew he could handle most of the requirements - a 1 1/2-mile run in 9:47 or less, 10 or more pull-ups, 58 or more sit-ups and 54 or more pushups. It was the first two requirements - the ability to complete a 50-meter subsurface swim and to complete a 500-meter swim in 10:07 or less while fully clothed - that concerned him.
Under nine minutes is optimal which, in the competitive swimming realm, translated to a time of under eight minutes in the slightly shorter 500-yard (457.2-meter) freestyle.
"That will put me above a lot of people joining," said Kovac, who is preparing to take the PAST on Monday. "A lot of people go in thinking they don't need to do that much swimming, but my score looks a lot better so I have a lot better chance of getting in."
The 500 is an event that even some accomplished swimmers shy away from because of the endurance it takes to swim competitively. Coming into the season with a small roster, the Hodags didn't have anyone penciled in to swim the 500. Then along came Kovac.
"We were pleased to have a guy who wanted to swim it," coach Jenny Heck said. "From the start he was very eager. He had a goal in mind and I appreciated that as a coach. I knew he wanted to work hard to accomplish that goal."
Kovac had his goal, but no formal training, other than some lifeguarding classes. The first time he tried the 500 at practice, his time was well over 10 minutes.
"That woke me up to a new breed of pain," Kovac said. "I had always done sports where you can breathe and this is the first sport where you don't get a breather when you want it. It really messes with me. That was an all around big shock."
Kovac didn't swim the race competitively until Dec. 7 when he went 9:51.22 during a dual meet against Antigo. He brought that time down to less than nine minutes by the time the holiday break rolled around.
With still roughly a minute to drop, Kovac said a different breathing technique while in the water led to a breakthrough.
"I learned a hypoxic-3, which is basically breathing every three strokes, and that completely made me think, 'Hey, I need to breathe every three strokes.'" He explained. "That kind of got in my head instead, 'I'm so tired.' It kind of distracts you, so the whole time you're doing a hypoxic-3 and you're pretty much cruising and, before you know it, you're done because you've been so busy thinking about that."
In a meet at Shawano Jan. 18, Kovac came agonizingly close to his goal time, finishing the 500 at 8:00.06.
One week later, in the final home meet of his abbreviated high school career, Kovac was finally in position to achieve his goal as he received encouragement from his lap counter, and fellow first-year swimmer Mathew Herman.
"He was like, 'Jack, you're at 5 minutes.' That was after about my 12th lap. That just completely shocked me into going, 'Hey, I've got a chance to do this,'" Kovac said. "The rest of the way I just booked it as fast as I can. When I knew it was my final lap, you can see that red card it's kind of the 'hit that and go,' button."
Kovac made the turn for the final 25 yards, sprinted back to the wall and got there at 7:53. It was a proud moment for everyone on deck.
"Everyone was cheering for him," Heck said. "Lakeland was cheering for him because they knew that was his goal as well. The Lakeland coaches were giving him advice. Everyone was excited for him and knew that was what he was here to do. It was really fun to see and watch."
Kovac backed it up a week later at the Great Northern Conference championship meet, finishing the event in 7:45.44. His season ended last weekend at sectionals, but Kovac leaves with the confidence of knowing he can pass the PAST and a newfound appreciation for swimming.
"Swimming doesn't get the credit it deserve with how hard of a sport that it is," he said. "I think a lot more people should do swimming. I came in just because of the military, but I would have totally come in freshman year because it's a fun sport. It helps you a lot. It kind of takes discipline to get good at swimming more than actual force."
Kovac was one of four first-year swimmers on this year's RHS boys' swim team. While the team's core of six seasoned veterans took most of the headlines and all qualified for the WIAA state meet, Heck said rookie swimmers, like Kovac, Herman, Hugh Wiese and Isaiah Piosalan were a vital part of this year's team.
"Basically they learned to swim competitively," she said. "It's amazing how much they've improved in such a short amount of time. I think some swimmers are afraid to come out for this team and feel that they don't know how to swim and that it's too intimidating. I think these guys really proved that they shouldn't be. We can teach anyone to swim competitively, swim fast and swim well."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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