Junior Bryer Pearson has helped the ninth-ranked Ankeny boys’ swimming team to a 3-4 record, including a 2-3 mark in the CIML Conference.
Pearson is currently ranked eighth in the state in the 100 butterfly with a time of 52.51 seconds. He is tied for 40th in the 50 freestyle (22.71) and tied for 42nd in the 100 backstroke (58.02).
Pearson is also a key member of the Hawks’ teams that are ranked 12th in the 200 medley relay, 13th in the 200 freestyle relay and 15th in the 400 freestyle relay.
Here is some inside info on Pearson:
How is the season going thus far?
I think we have had a solid season. We have had our ups and downs, but we have had a lot of hungry guys ready to step up and drop time when we needed them to.
What has been the highlight for you?
The highlight for me was to have the opportunity to go back to the Iowa City Invite (on Dec. 21) and be part of the team for the threepeat.
Your team had three meets in a five-day span this week. How is your body feeling after going through that grind?
Having three meets during finals week has been challenging both mentally and physically, so it’s fair to say I’m pretty exhausted.
Your team bounced back from a loss to Dowling Catholic on Tuesday with a win over Southeast Polk on Thursday. Was the team pretty motivated to get back on the winning track?
I don’t think anybody on the team was happy with how the Dowling meet went, but instead of letting this get us down we used our loss to Dowling as fuel to bounce back and swim fast against Southeast Polk.
Your team hosted top-ranked Cedar Falls on Saturday and dropped a 111-59 decision. What did you think of the Tigers, and do you feel like they truly are the state’s best team?
After hosting them on Saturday, I can confidently say that they were just as tough as we expected and I truly don’t think that there is a more complete team in the entire state than the Tigers.
Your team will face another tough opponent on Jan. 21 when No. 2 Waukee Northwest visits Ankeny. Do you think you can learn some things about yourself when you compete against some of the state’s top swimmers?
Yes, there is no better motivation for me than going against the best of the best, so going against Linn-Mar (on Saturday) and Waukee Northwest will be great indicators of where I fall with those guys.
You won both the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly in the team’s loss to Dowling, and you’ve probably swam those events more than any others this season. Do you feel like those are your best two events?
I would say that the 100 butterfly is for sure my main event, but as for my second I have started to re-explore the 100 backstroke and although I haven’t trained for it much this year, I feel that there is still a lot of potential left in that event compared to the 50 free.
You placed 11th in the butterfly and 24th in the backstroke at last year’s state meet. What are your goals for this season?
My goals for this season are to make the finals in both of my individual events, including an ‘A’ final for the butterfly.
Do you think your team can improve on its ninth-place finish at last year’s meet?
Yes, this team has a lot of young guys as well as upperclassmen who are ready to step up to help score points at state.
Are you planning to swim in college? If so, have you looked at any schools yet?
I haven’t decided if I plan on swimming in college yet, although the more I swim for Ankeny, the more urge I have to swim in college.
What are you going to study?
I plan to study either aerospace or chemical engineering wherever I attend.