Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, John Graass: Proving his point

Barry Faulkner

In the spring of his senior season, when some aquatic athletes

focus on fast times that have nothing to do with a stopwatch, Corona del

Mar High’s John Graass renewed his commitment to swimming.

When other water polo devotees -- freed by the lack of leverage their

prep polo coaches invoked to use the swim season as a training tool --

bail on mind-numbing, exhausting workouts, Graass pulled on his Speedo

and went to work.

Stung by a disappointing individual water polo campaign, in which he

watched the Sea Kings CIF Southern Section Division II title victory from

the bench, as well as a rejection letter from his college of choice,

Graass channeled his anger to the nearest lane line.

“I was ticked off and I wanted to kick some butt,” the freestyle veteran

said.

Graass hit the weight room and added seven pounds of muscle, which

improved his speed in the pool.

CdM Coach Jon Moore decided to take advantage of this added

explosiveness, shifting Graass from the 500-yard free to the 100-yard

event, while keeping him in the 200 free.

The results all came together at the Pacific Coast League Finals, May 5

at CdM.

“I was like, wow, totally stoked,” said Graass, who won the 100 and 200

free titles and was named boys swimmer of the meet. His efforts, which

also included legs on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay quartets,

also earned him Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week laurels.

His 1:50.61 clocking in the 200 free was nearly two seconds faster than

his preliminary qualifying time. His time in the 100 (49.56) was also a

drop of .54 from the prelims.

“I wasn’t expecting to win both (individual) events,” said Graass, who

added his unexpected success just may rekindle his desire to continue in

water polo and swimming at UC Santa Barbara.

“I might play water polo (for the Gauchos) and maybe I’m fast enough to

walk on in swimming,” said Graass, who continued his strong postseason

Thursday by helping the Sea Kings’ 200 free relay team advance to

tonight’s CIF Division II championship final at Belmont Plaza Olympic

Pool.

“I didn’t think he was a distance swimmer,” said Moore, who noted it was

not a difficult sell to get Graass to ditch the 500.

“We had a void in the 500 last year and John filled that,” Moore

explained. “He would have been fine swimming the 500 again, but,

especially since he was a senior, I wanted him in the events he was

happiest.”

Graass, who said he used to frequently outswim Newport Harbor sophomore

Olympic hopeful Aaron Peirsol in the Newport Beach junior lifeguard

program, was indeed eager to ditch the distance event.

“I hated the 500,” he said.

Graass, however, never complained and Moore developed a healthy respect

for his work ethic.

“John is a pretty dedicated athlete,” Moore said. “He does what he’s

supposed to do in the pool and he also takes care of things at home, like

diet and rest. I don’t tell him to do those things, just like I don’t

force him to lift weights. But he does all those things because of his

personal motivation. He’s a quiet leader and a role model for our younger

swimmers. I couldn’t ask for a better role model.”

Graass failed to qualify in his individual events at CIF prelims, but he

said he couldn’t ask for a better swan song campaign.

“Being named swimmer of the meet was the high point of my swimming

career,” he said.