Something to Shoot For

Decker and Koenig Inspired by Success of Swimmers Before Them

By Paul Tenorio

Monday, June 30, 2008

Ian Decker let out a small chuckle when asked how long he had been swimming, before pausing to do the math in his head.

"Since I was about four," he said, looking over to teammate Jake Koenig, who sat next to him at a picnic table next to the pool during Saturday morning's meet between Woodlea Manor and Lenah Run.

Decker and Koenig, who each swept their individual events at the meet in Leesburg, are two of the area's top young talents – swimming year-round with Curl Burke-Tysons and Curl Burke-West respectively. Both have qualified for the Junior Olympics in their careers – Koenig, who turned 14 last Sunday, is still eligible to compete at that level while Decker, 15, can no longer qualify – and both spoke Saturday about this week's U.S. Olympic Team Trials and their goal to one day take their place at the prestigious meet.

With three Loudoun natives – Matt McLean (Potomac Falls/University of Virginia), Suzanne Schwee (Stone Bridge/Alabama) and Megan Newell (Stone Bridge/Virginia Tech) competing in this year's trials, that goal doesn't seem as far-fetched.

"Matt McLean is a big hero of mine," Decker said. "Matt swam Curl Burke with me, I was the age group under him before he left. And I would just look up to him when he'd swim. [Knowing he is at the Trials] just pushes me going toward that goal."

Ian's mother, Nancy Decker, said her son has been able to use McLean as a role model to see what it will take to reach that level of success.

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Swim Meet, June 28

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A swimmer competes in the backstroke. (Paul Tenorio)

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A swimmer competes in the butterfly at the Lenah Run - Woodlea Manor meet in Leesburg. (Paul Tenorio)

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Ian Decker, 15, of Woodlea Manor, won all five events in which he competed at Saturday's meet. (Paul Tenorio)

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A swimmer competes in backstroke at the Lenah Run - Woodlea Manor meet in Leesburg Saturday morning. (Paul Tenorio)

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Jonathan Chica leads the boys 15-18 50 yard breaststroke in Saturday's Lenah Run-Woodlea Manor meet. (Paul Tenorio)

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Ian Decker, left, and Jake Koenig, right, sit at the clerk of course during Saturday's meet. (Paul Tenorio)

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"He knows what it takes," Nancy said. "The dedication and how hard he has to work. Matt's been a great role model."

For Decker and Koenig, swimming taps into a competitiveness on which they thrive, and both said the effort to beat the person in the next lane, mixed with a goal of topping their personal best time, provides a strong drive in the pool. Those desires have helped the two develop routines during meets to harness that competitiveness.

"I run the race before I race it in my head," Decker said. "See how it will hopefully go."

Koenig said he zones in on his race.

"I just have my mind completely focused on it," Koenig said. "I think about what I should do, how I should turn and everything. Then I get on the block and just do it."

Koenig, who has been swimming for five years, recently made a commitment to push himself to the next level, according to his parents, Leslie and Mike Koenig. Jake made a connection with his coaches Noah Rucker and former Olympian Jeremy Linn that instilled a drive in him, said Mike Koenig.

"They took Jake under their wing and he really took to their coaching," Mike said. "As a result of that he got more socially involved with more competitive swimmers on his team. And he's made it a priority for himself since that point further."

Decker and Koenig are still young and have plenty of room for development, and their coaches stress the idea of looking at development as a ladder and taking things "one rung" at a time. But with four years before the next Olympic trials, neither has shied away from setting the lofty goal of reaching the sport's ultimate stage.

"It's what every swimmer dreams of, just to make it to the Olympics," Decker said.

Koenig agreed.

"It's four years from now so I have time to do it," he said.

Tagged: Old Dominion Swim League, swimming

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