Columbus East girls swimming coach Jill Arnholt calls Jennifer Utterback her hardest worker.
Not so coincidentally, it turns out that Utterback also happens to be the Olympians’ top swimmer. The junior will try to lead East to a top-tier finish in Saturday’s Hoosier Hills Conference girls meet at Floyd Central.
"Jennifer’s work ethic in practice is phenomenal," Arnholt said. "She’s one of the first ones out on deck at every practice. She works hard every day and leads her lane and pushes those other girls and encourages them. She is really vital to that group of girls, those young girls. Then, she comes back in meets and performs. We can put her as an anchor in a relay, and she’ll gut it out and touch somebody out."
That work ethic didn’t begin to manifest itself until a few years ago, when Utterback was in middle school. She has been swimming year-round, competing for Donner Swim Club in the offseason.
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"I didn’t really start working as hard as I did until I started swimming in my age-group elite group," Utterback said. "The coach I had was really intense, and it really taught me to have a good work ethic, and it kept with me through when I was 12 until now. I’ve really had to buckle down and focus on me individually in practice because I don’t really race anybody in the practices."
Utterback got off to a little bit of a slow start at the beginning of the season while recovering from a couple of concussions.
"I was coming in really out of shape," Utterback said. "I put in the most work that I could, and it really has paid off for the amount of swimming that I’ve been doing. I’m not stressing out as much, but I’m still having the same intensity."
The sprint freestyle events, the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, are Utterback’s best. But she has shown the ability to do well in other events, as evidenced by her victories in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke in Tuesday’s dual-meet win against Madison.
Utterback also has shown proficiency in distance events, having fared well in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.
"She’s very versatile," Arnholt said. "I can put her in any event and know that she’s going to do well and perform well. She’ll always to her best. She won’t just do it halfway. She will take any challenge that I give to her."
On Saturday, Utterback is hoping for top-three finishes in her individual events, which likely will be the 50 and 100 freestyle. She also hopes to help the Olympians’ 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams to top finishes.
The 200 medley relay team also will look to break the school record. Utterback was part of that team that set the record of 1 minute, 54.29 seconds last year. They’ve been within a second of that mark this season.
"It’s really good for this point in the season, and we have an amazing group of girls on the relay to really push it," Utterback said. "We’re not losing anybody (to graduation) this year, so we could have a state relay for next year."
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What: Hoosier Hills Conference girls swimming and diving meet
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Floyd Central High School
Teams: Columbus East, Bedford North Lawrence, Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, Jennings County, Madison, New Albany, Seymour
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