Staff writer
Marion High School junior Garrett Alleven, as a March Student of the Month, listed his extracurricular activities, hobbies, and interests in one word: swimming. That’s because he has devoted his whole life, since age 9, to swimming.
Alleven competed for a third year in the USA Swimming Speedo Champion Series sectional meet March 3-6 in Jenks, Oklahoma. Competing against college-age and adult swimmers, he set his best time of the season in four events and improved from 29th place last year to 28th place.
This is an Olympic trial year, so he had to swim a long course instead of the usual 25 yards.
“I did pretty well,” he said. “It was a long course but it was fine.”
He said he needs to take two or three seconds off his time to be able to advance to the next level, junior nationals.
When asked if his goal was to be in the Olympics, he said, “It would be nice, but I don’t know.”
Alleven broke three personal records earlier in the Missouri Valley Short Course Championship meet at Topeka.
As a member of the Newton Nitros, he is in the platinum group, which consists of invitation-only year-round swimmers.
Alleven, who turned 17 this month, will begin a new swimming season later this spring.