Versatility propels Velazquez to peak of swimming ranks

Michael Velazquez was looking for a challenge.

The sophomore at Green Valley was in the middle of the dog days of the high school swimming season, so Velazquez asked Gators coach Bob Swift if he could swim the 500-yard freestyle during a dual meet against Las Vegas on April 20.

With one twist.

Instead of using the traditional crawl stroke, Velazquez wanted to swim all 20 laps using the breaststroke.

“After about 100 (yards), I started regretting my decision,” Velazquez said with a chuckle.

Velazquez finished second to teammate Connor Smith that day, and his time of 5:56.95 ranked him in the top 30 in the event in the Sunrise Region.

More than anything, though, the performance showcased Velazquez’s prodigious talent in the water.

Velazquez won two individual events at the Division I state meet last month and was a member of two winning relays, a showing that earned him the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Division I boys swimmer of the year.

“He’s a great kid,” Swift said. “He’s excellent in his studies and he’s a good leader for us coming up.”

Velazquez did not qualify for state as an individual during his freshman year, but certainly made up for it this season.

Velazquez finished second in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 100 backstroke at the prestigious Meet of Champions Invitational on April 13 at Walnut, Calif.

He then dominated at the Sunrise Region meet despite not tapering his workouts and went on to set two school records at the state meet.

Velazquez won the 200 IM in a time of 1 minute, 53.35 seconds, the top mark in the state regardless of division and a National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association All-American consideration time.

Since it came at a 4,600-foot elevation in Carson City, Velazquez’s time converts to 1:52.15, according to USA Swimming’s altitude-adjusted times.

In addition, Velazquez won the 100 breaststroke in 57.79, which is also a NISCA All-American consideration time, and helped the Gators capture the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

“I felt like I was the guy that a lot of people depended on to anchor relays and expected me to win my events at state,” Velazquez said. “Going in, I had a feeling I was the favorite, but it’s still nice to win both of my events.”

Swift said he saw signs early on that Velazquez was in line for a big season.

“I could tell with his splits and how he was going out in the IM,” Swift said. “He was hitting benchmarks throughout the season and I knew he was going to do something really great.”

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.