Two years ago Beaumont High swimmer Patrick Calderwood didn’t think much of the 500 freestyle.
It’s a marathon, a grueling event that asks participants to swim non-stop and at full speed for just over five minutes.
Calderwood now thrives in the event. On Wednesday he won the 500 freestyle again, helping the Cougars register their second straight Mountain Pass League victory. Beaumont won the boy’s meet against Citrus Hill, 85-13, and the girl’s meet, 106-18.
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“He loves the distance events,” Beaumont swim coach Jason Bradbury said. “If I put him in a shorter event he complains. He’s good at it, one of our fastest on the team.”
Bradbury said the team is guaranteed at least a second place finish with Calderwood in the event.
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“It’s about training hard,” Bradbury said. “You can’t just swim and trust your talent. You have to train and he puts in a lot of hard work.”
So far this season Calderwood is 15 seconds faster in the event than last season. He already has turned in a CIF qualifying time in the event. On Wednesday he turned in a 5:32. His career best is a 5:27. By the end of the season he wants to crack 5:18.
“I didn’t pick the event, it kind of picked me,” Calderwood said of the 500 freestyle. “I hated the 500 freestyle in my freshman year. Then I just got better and better.”
Calderwood got better as others avoided it.
“I just ended up getting good times,” Calderwood said. “I said ‘okay, this is my event.”
Individual event winners in Wednesday’s meet included Nathan Gibson in the 200 individual medley (1:20.39), Jared Moss in the 200 freestyle (2:41.04), Jeremie Stull in the 100 butterfly (34.04), Michael Bolduc in the 100 freestyle (1:03.09), Gabriel Elliott in the 100 backstroke (43.47) and Trevor Tripp in the 100 breaststroke (38.87).
Garrett Houston turned in a CIF qualifying time in the 100 freestyle.
It was a solid effort for Beaumont’s girl’s team. The Cougars bounced back after a league opening loss last week.
“It was a good meet for us,” Cougars coach Addonia Bradbury said. “For spring break and school being out, it was good. Only three swimmers were not here. All of our varsity swimmers were here, so it was not too bad for us.”
The Cougars won 9 events in the meet. Individual winners included Crysta Candaleria in the 200 freestyle (3:13.25), Desiree Martinez in the 200 IM (1:27.88), Nakoda Smith in the 50 freestyle (32.11) and the 100 butterfly (39.66)), and Madeyln Alaniz in the 100 freestyle (1:17.85).
