Jess Lewis is getting used to making an early impact.
In high school, she took first place in the 100-yard freestyle at the Pennsylvania state meet as a freshman and never relinquished it, setting the state record in the event in 2003. As a Wahoo, she aimed to make that same sort of splash at the collegiate level.
"Coming into U.Va., I knew there weren't a whole lot of sprinters," Lewis said. "I knew our class would have a big impact on sprinting at U.Va. and the relays."
Virginia's coaches planned on this year being a developmental year for the young Cavalier sprinters. Her success has come as a welcome surprise to head coach Mark Bernardino.
"We felt as though by the end of her first year and going into her second year, she could really blossom and start to become a major factor," said Bernardino. "But from the first day she arrived, she's been a big time player."
With the addition of Lewis, Virginia's women's swimming team, long known for producing dominant distance swimmers, becomes even more potent and balanced.Lewis' sprinting efforts helped to turn close losses against North Carolina the past two years into a resounding win this past Saturday.
"Jess is awesome," junior swimmer Rachael Burke said. "She and a few other sprinters have been key to our success. We didn't lose anyone we couldn't replace with people here, but we've gained people like Jess who have been phenomenal. She's carried our team."
If Lewis' performance against North Carolina on Saturday is any indication, the future of Virginia's sprinting is bright. Amidst the pressure of the North Carolina rivalry, Lewis turned in her best performance of the season, winning the 50 and 100 free, as well as anchoring the victorious 400 freestyle and 200 medley relay squads.
Lewis has enjoyed being able to play such a prominent role early, as well as competing on a very talented team with no shortage of excellent swimmers.
"I knew it would fall upon me like this, but the team is just phenomenal," Lewis said. "If somebody lets the others down, the others pick her right back up in another event."
With her time of 50.62 seconds against UNC, Lewis has already qualified for an NCAA "B" time in the 100 freestyle, giving her a shot at qualifying for the NCAA championship meet in March. The 200-yard medley relay, which she anchored Saturday, turned in an NCAA "B" time as well.
Coach Bernardino sees the potential for greatness in Lewis, who has shown the qualities a championship swimmer needs to succeed.
"She's unflappable, cool as a cucumber, loves to anchor relays," Bernardino said. "When you find an athlete like that, that's really special. We knew in recruiting she was going to eventually become one of the greatest Virginia sprinters ever."
The team's success, though, is what Lewis remains focused on.
"In high school, swimming was more individual," Lewis said. "Here it doesn't matter what the time is, it's how the team does."
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