THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 7, 1997 TAG: 9701070435
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 44 lines
Kempsville swimmer Stephanie Jenkins doesn't measure herself against competition.
For Jenkins, who holds state records in the 100-meter and 100-yard breaststroke, the enemy is the clock.
That's why she didn't celebrate after winning two races in the High School Classic last Saturday at Old Dominion University.
``I felt I could have done a lot better,'' she said.
Better than whom?
Jenkins won the 100-yard breastroke, her specialty, in 1 minute, 6.27 seconds and the 200-yard IM in 2:14.18. Grafton's Carolyn Raeder was the only other girl to win two individual events.
But Jenkins didn't beat the clock. Her time in the breastroke was more than two seconds off the state record she set Dec. 14 in a meet at Hargrave Military Academy.
That was early in the season. Her focus recently has been on practice, where she's steadily increasing her yardage in preparation for the U.S. Senior Nationals Feb. 12-16 in Buffalo, N.Y.
In retrospect, Jenkins said, her expectations for Saturday were too high.
``The more yards I swim the more tired I get,'' she said. ``When I'm tired I can't do my best.''
Fatigue from another person might be construed as an excuse. But in Jenkins' case it's legitimate.
She rises most days at 3:30 a.m. so she can make a 4:45 practice in Hampton with her club - Peninsula Area Swim Team. Then it's back to school at Kempsville before returning to Hampton for another practice.
Jenkins' immediate goal is to post a qualifying time for Senior Nationals in the 200-breastroke. She placed 29th in the 100-breaststroke and 64th in the 200-breaststroke at her first Senior Nationals last summer. ILLUSTRATION: [Stephanie Jenkins]
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