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FROM PRESS ROW: SACKETT GOES FROM A DIVER WHO DIDN'T WANT TO SWIM TO A STATE CHAMPION IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS (2023-03-05)

Just a few short years ago Jerrell Sackett was a diver who wanted nothing to do with swimming.

On Saturday the Waverly senior capped an amazing two years that saw him accomplish things no one in school history had ever done before.

“I was a diver,” Sackett said. “I didn’t like swimming. I thought swimming was dumb, if I’m being honest. And, then I got off the diving board. Gage Streeter (the Waverly record holder for diving) left so I didn’t really have a teacher. I got in the pool and I started laying down crazy times and here we are.”

Sackett started diving in eighth grade, and quickly former longtime Waverly head coach Dave Mastrantuono, the father of current coach Josh Mastrantuono, saw something special in the kid. Dave Mastrantuono tried to get him to leave diving and start swimming, but it’s something Sackett fought back against.

“He tried as hard as he could,” Sackett said.”I would just sit up there wasting my talent and he saw the talent and he was very upset. He finally got me off (diving) and I sent 25 for the first time and skipped 24 (seconds in the 50) and it was an amazing experience to get here.”

The past couple of years have been something special. Sackett helped the Waverly 200 free relay win a state title on Saturday, becoming the first state championship swimmers in Waverly’s storied history.

The Wolverines senior swam a 20.45 leadoff leg to the relay, becoming an automatic All-American in the 50 free. He also medaled in the 50 and 100 free, giving him seven state medals in two seasons, the most in Waverly school history.

“Just unbelievable, and unfortunately seems like a short career,” Josh Mastrantuono said. “Didn’t really get a sophomore year because of Covid. Swam junior season and had a real breakout yer and this year he’s just been on fire from day one it seems like.”

Between diving, and then the Covid year, Sackett has only had two full seasons as a swimmer and that’s the most astounding part for Mastrantuono.

“That’s probably the most unbelievable part of all of this,” Josh Mastrantuono said. “He really just came onto the scene last year and he has blown up in one year. His time drops all across the board are just unbelievable, things you can’t even think of.”

Most elite swimmers have swam all their life, competing year round. Sackett has been doing this for basically two full years, only during the swim season.

“It’s almost unheard of,” Sackett said. “I don’t do club. It’s just a fantastic coaching staff (at Waverly), amazing relationships and a good head space.”

The story for Sackett doesn’t end with the state title on Saturday. Next year the Waverly standout will be at St. Bonaventure, swimming in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

A few years ago the idea of getting a scholarship to swim Division I would seem crazy to Sackett. It’s something he never imagined would happen.

“Absolutely not,” he said.”I thought I was just a diver. I just thought I’d go through the paces, through senior year and be a diver and go to college for something else. It was never on the radar (swimming in college).”

All that changed a year ago when Sackett had a third-place finish individually at states and a runner-up finish as part of the 200 free relay.

“A massive amount of e-mails, letters of interest and then this year it exploded,” Sackett said.

Sackett already has the school records in the 50 and 100 free. He has matched the best finish by an individual at states for Waverly, taking third twice, and he has become part of the school’s first swimming state championship.

Now, Sackett hopes for even more when he gets to college.

“I am ecstatic, I signed with St. Bonaventure, my college coaches told me I’d probably be 19 (seconds) before my career is over, maybe less,” Sackett said.

Sackett has been used to dominating competition the past two years in high school. He knows things will be different in college. At the A-10 Championships two swimmers went under 20 seconds in the 50 free. Seven swimmers went at least the 20.45 that Sackett swam on Saturday, including a Bonaventure sophomore.

For Sackett it will be different having people as fast, and even faster, as him in practice and meets.

“Not to be the best is a hard thing to do,” Sackett said. “But, also a nice thing so you have some competition to look up to.

“It’s very weird, but I’m also excited to see how fast those people can help make me. It’s a good experience.”

For someone that has only done the sport for a few years, Mastrantuono believes college will be something that just makes Sackett better and better as a swimmer.

“That’s what ultimately we want to help these guys do, get them into college, help them through college with swimming and a guy like Mike Atanasoff is a great example,” Mastrantuono said. “This year he won the Liberty League Championship in the 50 and fly, set league records in them. Swimming has been a huge part of his college career and it’s starting to really pay off for him and I think Jerrell can follow a similar patch.

“Freshman year you have to adjust, it’s a different sport almost now. New coach, new team, new atmosphere, new events, but he’ll get adjusted, he’ll grow and I think it will be really good for him.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES


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