Boys Swimming / Wesco -- Hard Work Wins Half The Battle -- Now, Viking Swimmer Needs To Be Believer

LAKE STEVENS - It pops up occasionally among the positives, Paul Barnett's strange self-doubt. And the continuing battle probably won't be resolved until late February.

It is a battle between Barnett's intellectual and emotional sides, and it hardly seems warranted for the Lake Stevens swimmer.

Barnett knows he is good. He won the state Class AA 100-yard breaststroke championship last season with a time of 59.9 seconds. And he was ill.

He won the championship in his third season of swimming for the Vikings. In three years, he cut more than 32 seconds off his time.

"When most people reach the status of state champion, they've been swimming year-round since they were 8, 9 years old," Lake Stevens Coach Sarah Summers said. "It takes a lot of talent to be a repeat winner, a lot of determination. He's an extremely hard-working kid. Very talented."

Emotionally, Barnett still must convince himself how good he is.

He said Bob Miller, his club coach in Bellevue, talked to him about the state meet: "My Bellevue coach thinks I can go 57.0. Unfortunately, for some reason, I don't think I can. To be honest, I can't think of a reason.

"I'd like to break 58 if possible. Maybe be a double winner."

He probably will swim the 200 individual medley, and possibly the 200 freestyle for his second event at the Feb. 16-17 state meet at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. He also has state-qualifying times in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, his weakest event.

Summers does not believe Barnett has a confidence problem. "I think sometimes a kid can't come out and say, `I'm good,' " she said.

"Also, when you are the state champion and people say you can go 57.0, that's a huge drop in time from what you've been doing. Maybe he's not saying he can't go that fast. Maybe he's not setting himself up if he has disappointing times."

Barnett, a senior and team captain, has swum the breaststroke just twice this season. His best time is 1:02.

After the holidays he will swim the race more often and gradually gear up over the next two months for the state meet.

He will build strength in his arms and legs, increase his endurance and refine his timing and turns. In the final two weeks before state, he also will try to increase his speed with sprints.

When the state meet approaches, Barnett will work hard to make himself a believer. He will search for the smallest factor that could give him an advantage.

"For some reason I don't think I can do it until the very end," he said. "In the last two weeks that's all I think about. I go to bed thinking about it. When I wake up it's the first thing on my mind. Throughout the day I think about what to do to come out No. 1.

"I try to tell myself I'm better than anyone else. I know that doesn't sound great. I think about how I'm going to do my turns, when to push off, how I'm going to do it faster than they are. I try to think of everything I'm going to do that is going to be a little faster."

Barnett is built for the breaststroke. He is 6 feet 4 and has long arms, which give him power, speed and require him to execute fewer strokes than smaller swimmers. And he has a powerful kick.

The breaststroke is difficult to teach because arms and legs are required to perform abnormal movements. The movements must be coordinated with precise timing to achieve maximum thrust.

"He has an extremely fast, streamlined breaststroke. Paul does the new breaststroke, with a wide pull," Summers said. "He comes up really high, dives forward. He has a real fast, powerful pull. He probably does not more than 10 or 12 strokes in 25 yards. That wide pull adds up."

"He really puts his height to his advantage. He's really good off the walls. You figure in the breaststroke a huge portion of it, half the race, is spent on turns."

And, that could mean that half the battle is won for Barnett.

------------------------------ WESCO SWIMMERS TO WATCH / BOYS ------------------------------

WesCo AAA

Craig Quarterman, Cascade, senior. Sixth in state 100 backstroke and seventh in 100 freestyle last year.

Ben Millard, Kamiak, junior. A transfer from Alaska who may be good enough to win state 100 breaststroke.

Jon Worcester, Cascade, senior. Sixth in state 500 freestyle, ninth in 200 freestyle.

Beau Laughlin, Cascade, senior. Ninth in state 100 backstroke, 11th in 200 freestyle while swimming for Edmonds-Woodway.

Kevin Sullivan, Shorewood, junior. May place in top eight in 100 backstroke and top 16 in 100 freestyle.

Travis Keyf, Shorecrest, senior. May place in 200 individual medley at state meet.

Steve Saugen, Oak Harbor, junior. Could be district placer in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly.

Kyle Diers, Snohomish, senior. District placer in diving.

Robert Hennessy, Snohomish, senior. Placed in district 50 and 100 freestyle.

C. Kevin Clark, Edmonds-Woodway, junior. Finished second in district 100 freestyle last year.

Leif Johnston, Everett, junior. Could place in state 100 butterfly.

Jeff Jackson, Everett, senior. District placer last year, may place at state this season.

David Poore, Mountlake Terrace, senior. Fifth in district 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke last season.

Dalis Chea, Mariner, sophomore. Could become strong 100 breaststroke competitor this season.

Matt Koenigs, Marysville-Pilchuck, sophomore. Has qualified for district in six events.

WesCo AA

Paul Barnett, Lake Stevens, senior. Seeking repeat state championship in 100 breaststroke.

Chris Adams, Lake Stevens, sophomore. State placer in 100 backstroke last year.

James Howell, Meadowdale, senior. Second in district diving last year.

Eddie Sugawara, Jackson, sophomore. District placer in 200 individual medley.