Seventh heaven

Mike Sciacca

While the eyes of the swimming world focused this week on American

swimmer Michael Phelps and his attempt to win a record-tying seven

gold medals at the Olympic Games in Athens, a local youngster beat

Phelps to the punch and rolled a lucky seven at the National Junior

Olympics.

Huntington Beach’s Joshua Smith, 10, swam to seven gold medals in

the 9-10 Division at the recent swim meet held at Janet Evans Pool in

Fullerton.

In the process, Smith, who swims for Irvine Novaquatics, or NOVA,

blazed his way to six national reportable times and one Southern

California reportable time. Marks meeting those standards can be

submitted to Southern California Swimming and U.S. Swimming to be

ranked.

He was the most decorated swimmer at the Junior Olympics.

“I was amazed and happy to win seven gold medals,” said Smith, who

will enter the fifth grade at Grace Elementary School in Huntington

Beach in September. “It’s pretty special to me to be part of two

winning relay teams and win five individual events.”

Things began to fall into place for him, he said, after he swam

the 100-meter backstroke. Smith, who lists current U.S. Olympians

Lenny Krayzelburg and Aaron Peirsol as his favorite swimmers, dropped

five seconds off his personal best in the 100 back. He swam to a

winning time of 1:16.1.

“I was surprised at that,” he said. “After that, everything just

seemed to go well for me. I just felt really good in the water.”

He also won the 50-meter freestyle in 30.6, the 100-meter free in

1:07.2, the 50-meter backstroke in 35.3, the 50-meter backstroke in

40.1 and swam a leg on NOVA’s winning 200-medley relay and 200-free

relay teams.

After his performance at the Junior Olympics, Smith was named to

the Southern California team that competed last weekend at the

Western Zone United States Championships. The meet attracted the top

swimmers from the western U.S. and was held in Redding.

Smith swam in every event but the 200 individual medley and the

200-free, and made the finals in each event he swam.

He has been swimming since taking lessons at the age of four. He

says he’s really grown to love the sport and works out up to six days

a week, about 1 1/2 hours an evening.

“I get a lot out of swimming, but mostly, it’s fun to race and

compete,” Smith said. “Another thing I really like about it, is the

sportsmanship part.”

After each race he swims, Smith will go over and shake the hand of

the swimmer who raced next to him.

He got the idea from his NOVA teammate, Zachary Maffaris.

“I’m really impressed with his workout ethic,” said Anthony

Iacopetti, who has been the coach of the NOVA program for the past

year.

“He really had a great meet at the Junior Olympics,” Iacopetti

said. “He’s a young, talented swimmer who had a breakout performance.

“The one thing I see in Josh is a natural talent. He has a stroke

technique that you just can’t teach. It’s something a swimmer has, or

doesn’t. Another thing about Josh is that he’s such a hard worker for

such a young athlete. He has a bright future in swimming.”

Smith, whose sister, Tori, 11, and brother, Thomas, 7, also swam

at the Junior Olympics, says the seven-medal performance was even

more special because his parents, Brad and Robin, were in attendance.

Brad Smith recently joined the United States Navy, after reading a

sign at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Seal Beach Boulevard

that read, “Do you want to serve your country?” The elder Smith, who

is a lieutenant commander, was activated to support Operation Iraqi

Freedom by working at the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton as a

physician.

“I was really happy that he was able to make the Junior Olympics

and see me do so well,” Josh Smith said. “That made it really

special.”

Josh Smith, who swam 28 events in a nine-day period, said he will

be watching the Olympics with great interest, rooting on his

favorites, Krayzelburg and Peirsol.

In the 100-meter backstroke at the Junior Olympics, Smith’s time

of 1:16.1 was only 3.9 seconds off Peirsol’s Southern California

age-group record. Peirsol, a former NOVA swimmer who lives in Irvine,

won the gold medal in the 100-yard backstroke Monday in Athens.

“My goal is to swim in college and make the Olympics,” Smith said.

“I’m having a lot of fun with it now and it’d be great to make the

Olympics.”