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Emma Becker wants to break an Olympic gold medalist’s Mountain View record in the 100-yard breaststroke.
And she’s getting help from the Olympian herself.
Becker said that Breeja Larson has worked with her underwater technique and she has been contacting college coaches on behalf of her.
Larson’s best high school time was 1 minute, 02.01 seconds in the breaststroke in 2010. She didn’t turn into a serious competitive swimmer until midway through her high school career.
Becker bounced from Gilbert to California and now to Mesa during her upbringing and is hoping to break 1 minute during her senior season
“My coaches want me to go under one minute, which would beat the high school record and maybe the state record,” the 6-foot Becker said. “For sure beat her time.
“She is rooting for me. She says, ‘It’s crazy that you’re as fast as I was.’ “
Becker, who belongs to the Mesa Aquatic Club, is training only with her high school team this swimming season.
Mountain View swimmer Emma Becker chasing history in pool
Mountain View swimmer has Olympic gold medalist Breeja Larson rooting for her to take down her 100-yard breaststroke record
Richard Obert, Arizona Republic
She’s undergone adversity throughout her high school career. During her sophomore year, she said she broke her foot. Then she broke her finger.
“After that, I got on top of it and I won state,” she said. “Then COVID happened, and we got into the high school season and I still won state, which was a big shock to me. Everyone’s mentality after such a big thing world-wide, it was just crazy.”
Even though COVID-19 is still out there, she feels much better entering this season, which begins Thursday at Skyline Aquatic Center against rival Mesa Red Mountain in an under-the-lights meet that starts at 7 p.m.
The Division I state swimming championships will be held Nov. 5-6 at Skyline Aquatic Center.
“I’m excited for this season because we’re finally getting out of it, although we might get back into it,” she said. “I’m just really happy we’re back.”
Becker just wants to keep a positive mindset and help others on the team this year and not get discouraged.
Mountain View coach Jack Giles doesn’t want to put any pressure on Becker. She doesn’t have to be like Larson. Just be herself.
“She’s happy,” Giles said. “We’re giving her a leadership role.”
Giles knows that there have only been 10 high school girls in the country to ever go under a minute in the 100 breaststroke. The national high school record in 58.35 seconds by Kaitlyn Dobler in the Oregon swimming championships in February 2020.
The state record was set by Katie Olsen of Phoenix Desert Vista in 2009 at 1:00.68.
Giles said that Becker swam “a tick faster” than Larson in the 100 breast, but she did it during a club meet.
Becker wants to break Larson’s high school record at Mountain View.
“She’s met Breeja four or five times,” Giles said. “She’s raced her in meets, which is weird. She’s like, ‘Why is she here?’ I said, ‘Because she lives here.’ “
It was a humbling experience, but she learned from Larson, who has helped her with mechanics and with the mental part of swimming.
Becker started competitive swimming at age 12. She was always one of the tallest girls in the pool.
She’ll be going on college recruiting trips during the high school season.
“It’s mentally going under those double Os, the one minute in the breaststroke,” Becker said. “Breaking that one minute, not a lot of people can do it. It takes you from like a big pool of swimmers to a little pool of high school swimmers who have ever done that.”
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
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