Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 12, 1991                   TAG: 9102120140
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: JUSTINE ELIAS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

14-YEAR-OLD GILES ATHLETE AT HOME ON TRACK, IN POOL

But the Giles High School freshman, an unlikely star in cross country and swimming, does more than just beat the odds.

He beats just about everybody.

Jennings placed fourth in the state at the Group A cross-country championships in November in Charlottesville. On a muddy course, Jennings had a time of 17:52 - 22 seconds shy of his personal best.

At the state's 1990 Junior Olympics, Jennings swam a 2:05.86 in the 200-yard individual medley, which put him eighth among 14-year-olds.

He was among the 12 fastest qualifiers in his age group at the 1990 Virginia CorEast State Games.

This was Jennings' first year on the cross-country team, but he is a veteran competitor in the pool.

Born in San Diego, he got serious about swimming when his family moved to Cape May, N.J.

"Our school had a pool, so we had swimming for gym class every day," Jennings said.

His parents encouraged him in the sport. Jennings' father, a now-retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, was frequently transferred, but always to locations with strong swimming programs.

Now he is concentrating on swimming for the Pulaski YMCA team. Jennings has already qualified for the YMCA national championships in two events: the 200 backstroke and the 400 individual medley.

Before the April meet in Florida, he expects to qualify for the 200 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, and the 200 individual medley.

Standing 5-4 and weighing 125 pounds, Jennings doesn't look like most of the gangly runners his age.

"I take three steps when other people take one," he said.

At the pool, he looks like a scaled-down version of a swimming champion.

His mother and father are both under 5-7, so Jennings doesn't expect to grow much taller than that. "My size is not a disadvantage. I don't think about it too much."

As a distance specialist, he works on strength and endurance. Running and weight training supplement his long workouts in the pool.

Jennings' work habits make him ideally suited to the challenge of competition, said Bill Beecher, coach of the Pulaski YMCA Southwest Aquatic Team.

"The kid really enjoys the work," Beecher said. "He has a good ability to set goals for himself - both intermediate and long-range goals."

At 14, Jennings is "very mature," Beecher said. "He realizes the sacrifice his parents have to make to get him here for practice. It takes a big commitment."

Throughout the fall, Jennings woke up early to run 50 to 60 miles a week for cross country. He trained five afternoons a week in the pool.

Though Jennings may seem a natural triathlon prospect, he has never tried the sport. Triathlon is a combination of swimming, cycling and distance running. He said he might try it at the 1991 state games.

Jennings' ultimate goal is to compete in swimming for a NCAA Division I-level team. His top choice would be among Michigan State, Southern California, or UCLA. He also would like to be a national factor by qualifying for Senior Nationals and the Olympic team.

For now, he's working on improving his mechanics.

"I breathe too much. I feel I need to breathe every stroke, but my coach doesn't think so."

Beecher is "an excellent coach," said Jennings. "He knows all about people and their abilities."

He agrees with Beecher that an essential part of an athlete's training is mental discipline. Jennings follows the same routine before each swim meet.

"If I'm nervous before a big race, I listen to music or a relaxation tape on my Walkman. And I always eat granola bars before and after I swim."