A year ago this week, Christopher Lee had a big breakthrough performance when he won the 100-yard freestyle and finished second in the 100 backstroke in the Conference Indiana meet to help lead Columbus North to the team title.
This year, the junior wants titles in both of his individual events.
Although Lee won’t be swimming the 100 freestyle in Saturday afternoon’s Conference Indiana meet at Vigo County Aquatic Center in Terre Haute, he will compete in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
“Ever since I got second place at conference last year (in the 100 backstroke), I’ve been really hungry to get first place in both my events this year,” Lee said. “Then obviously, having the team win the meet for two years in a row would be a really exciting thing.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Lee made a huge jump last season after finishing 12th at conference in both the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle as a freshman. That can be credited to a growth spurt that saw him reach 6-foot-1 1/2, along with some more dedicated work in the pool and weight room.
“It was a learning curve,” Lee said. “I hadn’t put in very much training leading up to my freshman year, and my sophomore year, I kind of exploded.”
This year, Lee has the Bull Frogs’ best times in the 200 freestyle (1 minute, 49.20 seconds), 50 freestyle (22.35), 100 freestyle (48.32) and 100 backstroke (54.08).
“Chris has had a lot of pretty strong performances, which have gotten him to a really good place right now,” North coach Logan Schaefer said. “Chris is our top performer across a lot of events at this moment, so I think that makes him a valuable asset to the team. He’s been working as hard as he can to fill that role with whatever events he’s been asked to do and help build our team and build those relays back up.”
Lee usually swims on two of the three relays. Last year, he swam on the 200 freestyle relay team that finished eighth at state and the 200 medley relay team that came in 10th. Lee also was a state qualifier in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
With the other three members of those relay teams having graduated, Lee is the only current Bull Frog who has state meet experience.
“He’s building his leadership skills to lead in his own unique way, and that’s really been helping us this year,” Schaefer said
Whichever events Lee ends up doing in the sectional, he is confident he can return to state and perform better in his individual events this season.
“I’m very optimistic,” Lee said. “I feel like my times have been really reflecting the work I’ve put in. I think everyone is going fast times in practice and fast times in meets.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Conference Indiana boys and girls swimming and diving meet
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Vigo County Aquatic Center, Terre Haute
Teams: Columbus North, Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Southport, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South
[sc:pullout-text-end]
