Featured Athlete: Jed Jones

Haydn Spooner, Staff Writer • November 26, 2018

Shae Daugherty

Junior Jed Jones competes in swim for Lovejoy and Metroplex Aquatics.

Junior Jed Jones swims on and off campus as he works toward his goal of being an Olympic swimmer.

At a Glance

Height: 6’3”

Team: Metroplex Aquatics and Lovejoy High School

Goal: 2024 Olympics

Favorite Stroke: Backstroke

Swimming experience: Ten years

Looking Deeper

The Red Ledger: How did you get into swimming?

Jed Jones: My older sister Raime swims. She just started swimming about the same age that I did (age six), and my parents just said, “why don’t we just try it out for you too?” I tried it out. I loved it, and now I’ve just been doing it ever since.”

TRL: Why do you like swimming?

JJ: I don’t know. I just feel like I like the water. It’s complicated, but I love the connections it gives you too because you make a lot of great friends. I also like how there’s a mix of individual and team events. I like having to perform personally and being able to improve myself instead of having to improve as an entire team, but improving as an entire team is also great.

TRL: What’s your best time and in what stroke?

JJ: Definitely that 428.20 in the 400 IM. That happened over the summer in California at summer juniors. I ended up getting 12th place there just for all 18 and unders all across the country.

TRL: What is your pre-meet routine?

JJ: Before a meet, I usually go out to eat some pho. It’s some sort of Japanese noodle thing. It’s just a routine that I do.

TRL: What is the hardest part about being a swimmer?

JJ: The training is deadly. I have to swim for two hours per practice and twice a day during weekdays. In the morning I’ll train for two hours with Lovejoy, and in the afternoon I’ll train for two hours with metro, and sometimes I’ll have an hour of weights in the afternoon. Over the weekend, I have a three-hour practice on Saturday.”

TRL: How do you overcome and stay focused with all the training you do?

JJ: As of now It’s really hard to keep up with homework and stuff, but you get into a routine, which is important to do at the beginning of the school year. Otherwise, you can’t get your work done, so it really helps with time management.

TRL: What sacrifices have you made for swim?

JJ: A lot of the time I have to cancel on people because of practice which is rough. My Friday nights are never open, and even for national select camp, I had to miss Homecoming. In order to be great like I hope I can become, you have to make a lot of sacrifices, especially socially.

TRL: What do your family and friends do to support you?

JJ: My mom drives me everywhere because I still don’t have my license. I just don’t have time to practice driving. All of my friends understand what I like to do, so they respect that I have to go to practice on [certain] days, and they know I don’t have time to hang out with them. They don’t take it personally, but take it more like “he’s serious about his thing.” I’m thankful for that.

TRL: What are you doing extra to train for your future goals?

JJ: It’s all the little stuff. Staying after practice like an extra 30 minutes to work on turns or starts.

TRL: What is your best accomplishment?

JJ: Over the summer I was accepted into a national select camp which was a lot of fun. The program selects a bunch of kids from who place top three in the country for your event or top six your class. It was held in the Olympic training center in Colorado, and I was selected for my 400 IM (individual medley) time of 4:28.20.

About the Contributors

Haydn Spooner, Staff Writer

Haydn Spooner is a senior and first year staff writer for The Red Ledger. After living in and visiting several exotic places such as Argentina and Hawaii, Haydn has developed an appreciation for traveling. On the weekends, Haydn spends most of his time working at a construction site in Fairview as well as playing club soccer with his friends. After six years of playing soccer for Lovejoy, Haydn is most looking forward to winning numerous amounts of trophies with the team. With the thought of college constantly on his mind, Haydn aims to pursue his interest in business finance at Texas A&M University. His dream job is to work at or own a hedge fund one day. However, in the meantime, he enjoys spending time with family or playing poker with his friends.

Shae Daugherty, Section Editor

It’s Daug·herty, /Dortee/, Daugherty. It’s not that hard. Coaches never get it wrong, and that may have been what drove her to sports photography in the first place. When she isn’t leaving sticky notes all over the newsroom, she’s in the heart of the sideline with a few cameras and a small bag of SD cards. She spends nearly all her time with the Sideline Team, causing trouble or residing in the studio. Her favorite part of football season is the two hours before any game, when the photographers go to dinner, or at least they try to. Shae’s sustained many injuries during her five year run as a sports photographer due to her inability to see players charging at her. Ironically, the Photo Editor is legally blind, and will crack numerous blind jokes, at the disapproval of one Benjamin Nopper. Her goal this year is for The Red Ledger to finally win the Pacemaker, and nothing will stand in her way. Coming in right at 5’10”, she certainly doesn’t need heels, but she wouldn’t be caught dead without them. Let her leave you with this one piece of advice–keep your heels, head and standards high.