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Werdine Hoping His Work Pays Off

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By MATTHEW POSTINS, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 31, 2007

Andrew Werdine has spent the past three seasons as a cog in the Jesuit swimming machine.

This weekend he's likely to be the star.

Werdine is expected to reach the finals in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles at the FHSAA Class 1A state swimming and diving championships, which are Thursday in Orlando.

His performance at regional last week - in which he swept the 50 and 100 and set regional records in the process - has him encouraged entering the state meet.

'I'm hoping for a top-three finish in both races,' Werdine said. 'I'm looking for a low 21 in the 50 and low 47 or high 46 in the 100.'

He swam a 21.60 in the 50 and a 47.50 in the 100. Right now, Werdine is seeded fourth in the 50 and fifth in the 100.

After the races, Jesuit coach Bill Shaffer struggled to find something wrong with either swim.

He found two - the extra dolphin kick in the 50 that threw off the senior's timing slightly and the dipping of Werdine's head at the finish.

'I think he has a great opportunity because he's put in the work all season,' Shaffer said.

Werdine admitted he was surprised at his times last week.

'I was working so hard that I was broken down physically and my times weren't where they should be,' he said. 'So this is a pleasant surprise.'

Werdine is no stranger to the state meet. As a freshman and sophomore he competed with the relay teams, but not in individual events. Last year he claimed the consolation final in the 50 (22.08) and finished 10th in the 100 (48.58). He admitted to being happy with those times last year because 'they were my best times that season.'

He also competed in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays finals last year, helping Jesuit to second- and fifth-place finishes.

Since last year's state meet, Werdine has shaved about five-tenths of a second off his 50 and nearly one second off his 100 with a training regimen that includes weightlifting.

'I've started to see the results,' Werdine said.

Werdine will be busy this weekend, as he'll compete in the 200 IM relay and the 400 free relay. In the latter event Werdine sliced two seconds off his split time in preliminaries.

And he hasn't even shaved and tapered yet, which is swimming lingo for shaving the body to reduce drag and ratcheting down the training regimen, respectively.

How much lower can he go? Werdine said he thought he might be able to swim a 21 flat in the 50, a claim that took Shaffer aback. The coach is hoping for 21.3 or 21.4.

'Good,' Shaffer said. 'I want him thinking like that.'

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