Perkiomen Valley grad swimming strong at Dickinson College

Jessica Hassinger’s love for swimming began at an early age.  However, her competitive juices didn’t start flowing for the sport until she arrived at Perkiomen Valley High School.

Hassinger is a senior at Dickinson College and is a big part of her team’s success.

“I had been swimming since I was younger and I always liked it,” said Hassinger.  “I just wasn’t very competitive. I didn’t join club teams mainly because I was involved in other sports. Once I got to high school, I really started to enjoy it.”

Her enjoyment of the sport has paid off at Dickinson. Hassinger currently has the fifth-best time in the Centennial Conference this season in the 50-yard freestyle. She has six wins in the event this year and three second-place finishes. Hassinger holds the school record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:53.04 in 2008. She has five wins with the 200 free relay this winter, two second-place finishes and one third. Hassinger is a big reason why the Red Devils are off to a 7-3 start through their first 10 meets.

 “I’m pretty excited,” Hassinger said. “It’s a really good group, and we have a lot of fun. It’s a great experience. We also have a lot of young talent on the team and it’s exciting to think where they’re going to be a few years from now.”

While Hassinger has excelled in both the 50 and 200 events, she admits there is an extra rush of adrenalin involved with the 50 freestyle.

“You kind of have a chance to catch up in the longer races if you don’t get off to a good start,” said Hassinger. “In the 50, you give it your all and whatever you have left, you have left.”

 The 200 medley has also provided plenty of thrills for Hassinger, and the opportunity to compete in an event with her teammates adds to the excitement of the 200.

“I like the relays,” Hassinger said. “It’s more fun than an individual event. Three other people are there rooting for you. I think it’s a lot easier to swim those events. The times seem to be better than the ones in the individual events.”

Hassinger is grateful she took her swimming seriously once she arrived at Perkiomen Valley. Not only did Hassinger attract the attention of the college coaches, but the competitive program at Perkiomen Valley prepared her for the rigors of the competition on the college level.

“The swimming that I did in high school was a huge factor in preparing me,” said Hassinger. “I would not have been able to swim in college if it hadn’t been for the training that I got there. My freshman year was rough because I wasn’t used to it. But by my junior year, I was feeling like I could swim at the collegiate level.”

When Hassinger was ready to make her college choice, she had several options from schools that offered both strong swimming and academic programs. It was Dickinson that provided everything she was looking for when it came to finding the right fit.

“That choice was a pretty easy one,” Hassinger said. “A lot of the schools I looked at were similar academically, but this school seemed to have more of an individual focus. I really like the attention that their professors can give their students. Plus, the coach here really cares about you as a person first. Academics come before athletics.”

Hassinger’s life has been filled with taking care of children. She has three younger siblings and has a wealth of experience as a baby-sitter. Hassinger is planning to help children as a pediatrician in the future.

“I’m planning on applying to medical school,” said Hassinger. “I’m going to go into pediatric medicine. I’ve always been interested in medicine. I had a really great pediatrician when I was growing up, but I also really love kids.”

Hassinger is hoping to stay involved with swimming after graduation. She is looking into coaching opportunities while perusing her pediatric career. Wherever life takes Jessica Hassinger, it is a safe bet her passion for swimming will carry over to her life outside the pool.