Different strokes: Williams' versatility gives JF edge

Jefferson Forest has had more than its share of exceptional swimmers come through its program over the past decade, but few have been as versatile, or more valuable than senior Caleb Williams, the Seminole District boys swimmer of the year.

As much of a multi-event standout as Susanna White was for JF’s girls team last year, before going on to swim at Arkansas, Williams has been for the boys team throughout his four-year career with the Cavaliers.

"He's been pretty versatile, certainly for our needs," Lynchburg YMCA coach T.J. Liston said, noting swimmers can enter as many four individual events and five relays in multiple-day meets. "He's been swimming four individual events plus the relays. He’s been our best relay swimmer for a couple of years and last year, [at the Summer Y National meet in Florida,] he made the finals in the 200 free, 500 free and 200 back."

Williams, who broke former teammate Carter Watson’s Region III and Group AA state meet records in the 200-yard freestyle last year in 1 minute, 44.84 seconds and 1:42.56, respectively, won that event by more than 13 seconds and the 100 backstroke by more than five seconds at last Friday’s Seminole District championships.

"I’m best at the mid-level freestyle and backstroke events," Williams said. "The 200 back is one of my best events because I have more stamina and endurance than speed."

He may not be quite as fast as Watson, a sprint freestyle specialist and last season’s district swimmer of the year now at ODU, or freestyle and backstroke standout Stephen Hawkins, who continued his career at Virginia Tech before graduating last year. But Williams can swim competitively in as many events as both of them put together, or the brother tandem of Justin (JMU) and Travis Stauder (East Carolina University) combined.

"Caleb is much more versatile than Carter [Watson]," JF coach and former swimmer Jon Templeton said. "Caleb is a very strong backstroker and he’s really good at the distance freestyle.

"Blake Nowakowski is going to be another one," he added. "He’s already at that level where he can swim anywhere you put him. Both are talented in being able to attack a number of different strokes."

He compares Williams and Nowakowski, younger brother of Chad, who graduated from JF last year, favorably to Scott Thacker, the 2006 state champion in the 100 breast stroke who swam for Florida State.

"Scottie made it to the Olympic Trials [set for June 25 to July 2 in Omaha, Neb.]," Templeton said, noting Blake also excels in the breast stroke. "By the time they get to college, they’ll be at or above Scott’s level."

Williams, who was recruited by ODU and visited Virginia Tech last weekend, has yet to finalize his college plans, but definitely wants to swim in college.

"I’ve been accepted to ECU and West Virginia, where I plan to visit after the NCAA [championships]," he said. "Both have very strong programs. I’m hoping after [Spring] Y Nationals, I can get better scholarship offers by lowering my times."

Williams will compete in the 200 individual medley and the 500 free at Saturday’s Region III meet at JMU, set for 3 p.m., when the Cavaliers will contend with Brookville, E.C. Glass and Turner Ashby for their third consecutive title. Meanwhile, after finishing third behind Glass and Brookville at the Seminole meet, Forest’s girls will attempt to repeat their runner-up showing from last year, with Spotswood favored to defend its crown.

"Caleb will swim the 200 IM and 500 free at both regions and states and hopefully, he should win both of them at both levels," Templeton said, noting he may opt to try to defend his title in the 200 free rather than swim the 200 IM. "I would like to see him do better than Kemp [Pettyjohn]," the two-time defending state champion 500 freestyler from Brookville who won last year’s final at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center in 4:35.14.

He won’t likely break that mark on Saturday, due to the length of the pool, which is 25 yards rather than 50 meters, like Christiansburg’s. Nineteen flip turns, compared to nine needed in a 50-meter pool, tend to slow swimmers down.

Williams said the sprints also require much more precision in everything from the starts to the turns and it is crucial to maximize the 15 yards or meters at the start of each lap allowed for underwater swimming.

"You go faster under water," Williams said.

He expects his best competition at the state level to come from Cave Spring’s Jacob Siar in the backstroke and Hidden Valley’s Lucas Otruba in the distance freestyle events.

Liston said Williams has developed an excellent work ethic over the years.

"He's consistently been one of our hardest workers and his attendance has been very high," Liston said.

"I’ve been swimming for Lynchburg Y for seven years and with T.J. for five," Williams added. "Even though it’s hard training, and takes a lot of discipline, it keeps you in shape and keeps you on task."

Williams also has demonstrated leadership ability by pouring as much or more energy into the relays as he does into his individual events.

"He's been our workhorse at Y Nationals every year, swimming on all the relays," Liston said. "He’s been our backstroker on the medley relays and in the freestyle relays, he’s been in every one."

At the Seminole District meet, Williams also swam the opening backstroke leg of the winning 200 medley relay and the second leg of the winning 200 freestyle relay, as he will again in Saturday’s Region III meet. Those two relays have already swum qualifying times for next Saturday’s Group AA state meet at Christiansburg.