University of Minnesota Athletics
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Freestyle/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Get to Know: Jack Ballard
1/30/2023 11:52:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
There are 18 newcomers to the Minnesota Swimming and Diving programs for the 2022-23 season. In order to get to know them better, GopherSports.com is doing Q&As with each.
Up next, Jack Ballard, a freshman from Fort Collins., who attended Fort Collins High School. He earned all-state honors in 2021 and was an All-American that year in the 200 free. Ballard swam for the Fort Collins Area Swim Team from 2013-22 and competed at sectionals and Junior Nationals in December of 2021. With his club team, he set program records nine times across five different events.
GopherSports.com: How did you get into swimming?
Jack Ballard: "I got into swimming when I was little when my mom wanted me to get out of the house in the summers so she would send me to summer league. Then, after a few summers of that, I wanted to join a club team so I could swim in the winter, too."
GS: When did you realize you might be able to compete in college?
JB: "I realized I might be able to compete in college when I was a freshman in high school. I was starting to improve a lot and was able to race at a higher level. That's the year I started to talk about college swimming with my club coaches."
GS: What was your recruiting process like?
JB: "My recruiting process was a little different due to COVID restrictions as they were in the middle of no visiting but there were rumors of the NCAA lifting those bans in the near future. So it was kind of a game on whether you wanted to wait it out and try to prolong your recruiting process in order to visit or just try and learn as much as you can through zooms and phone calls and judge a school based on that. Luckily, I felt confident in my decision to commit to the University of Minnesota as everything felt right after talking to the coaches and the men on the team."
GS: What made you decide on Minnesota?
JB: "The main thing that made me choose Minnesota was the culture and togetherness of the men's team here. The other thing that made my decision was the coaching staff and how knowledgeable and personable they are. One other thing that tied everything together was the great academics and great campus the University of Minnesota has. Also the Athletic Facilities and resources available to you were a deciding factor."
GS: What differences have you noticed between high school/club and college swimming?
JB: "The main differences that I have noticed between club swim to college swim is the training patterns and the overall level of swimming at practice. The main thing that I think has helped me the most is being able to train and race against a higher level. Being able to have multiple training partners that can push you day by day helps me practice better."
GS: Are there any particular teammates who have taken you under their wing and helped in your transition to college?
JB: "Some of the teammates that have helped me most in my transition to college are William (Christenson) and Connor (Groya). With Connor being my roommate, we just kind of help each other out with random things throughout the semester in order to make our transition easier. William has helped me out with learning how to navigate school, studying, and anything I am wondering about the transition. He has also helped a bunch with practice and the swimming aspect of it."
GS: Do you have any pre-meet or pre-race rituals?
JB: "I don't have any specific pre-meet ritual, even though I like to keep things similar when I go into things but not exactly the same. For my pre-race ritual I always do the same thing behind the block and while getting onto the block to clear my head and get me ready for my race."
GS: What is your favorite event to compete in and why?
JB: "My favorite event to compete in is the 200 IM because I like to race all of the strokes in a single race and it's the shortest version of the IM allowed."
GS: What is something you are looking forward to in your time as a Gopher?
JB: "Something I'm looking forward to with my time here is making lifelong friendships and learning more about myself as an athlete and as a person.
Out of the Pool with Jack
Favorite spot on campus: Bierman
Favorite Food: Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Favorite TV Show: Hawaii Five-0
Hidden talent: Able to shake my eyes
Sport you're best at other than swimming: Golf
Favorite moment of your swimming career: Practicing everyday with my friends
Up next, Jack Ballard, a freshman from Fort Collins., who attended Fort Collins High School. He earned all-state honors in 2021 and was an All-American that year in the 200 free. Ballard swam for the Fort Collins Area Swim Team from 2013-22 and competed at sectionals and Junior Nationals in December of 2021. With his club team, he set program records nine times across five different events.
GopherSports.com: How did you get into swimming?
Jack Ballard: "I got into swimming when I was little when my mom wanted me to get out of the house in the summers so she would send me to summer league. Then, after a few summers of that, I wanted to join a club team so I could swim in the winter, too."
GS: When did you realize you might be able to compete in college?
JB: "I realized I might be able to compete in college when I was a freshman in high school. I was starting to improve a lot and was able to race at a higher level. That's the year I started to talk about college swimming with my club coaches."
GS: What was your recruiting process like?
JB: "My recruiting process was a little different due to COVID restrictions as they were in the middle of no visiting but there were rumors of the NCAA lifting those bans in the near future. So it was kind of a game on whether you wanted to wait it out and try to prolong your recruiting process in order to visit or just try and learn as much as you can through zooms and phone calls and judge a school based on that. Luckily, I felt confident in my decision to commit to the University of Minnesota as everything felt right after talking to the coaches and the men on the team."
GS: What made you decide on Minnesota?
JB: "The main thing that made me choose Minnesota was the culture and togetherness of the men's team here. The other thing that made my decision was the coaching staff and how knowledgeable and personable they are. One other thing that tied everything together was the great academics and great campus the University of Minnesota has. Also the Athletic Facilities and resources available to you were a deciding factor."
GS: What differences have you noticed between high school/club and college swimming?
JB: "The main differences that I have noticed between club swim to college swim is the training patterns and the overall level of swimming at practice. The main thing that I think has helped me the most is being able to train and race against a higher level. Being able to have multiple training partners that can push you day by day helps me practice better."
GS: Are there any particular teammates who have taken you under their wing and helped in your transition to college?
JB: "Some of the teammates that have helped me most in my transition to college are William (Christenson) and Connor (Groya). With Connor being my roommate, we just kind of help each other out with random things throughout the semester in order to make our transition easier. William has helped me out with learning how to navigate school, studying, and anything I am wondering about the transition. He has also helped a bunch with practice and the swimming aspect of it."
GS: Do you have any pre-meet or pre-race rituals?
JB: "I don't have any specific pre-meet ritual, even though I like to keep things similar when I go into things but not exactly the same. For my pre-race ritual I always do the same thing behind the block and while getting onto the block to clear my head and get me ready for my race."
GS: What is your favorite event to compete in and why?
JB: "My favorite event to compete in is the 200 IM because I like to race all of the strokes in a single race and it's the shortest version of the IM allowed."
GS: What is something you are looking forward to in your time as a Gopher?
JB: "Something I'm looking forward to with my time here is making lifelong friendships and learning more about myself as an athlete and as a person.
Out of the Pool with Jack
Favorite spot on campus: Bierman
Favorite Food: Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Favorite TV Show: Hawaii Five-0
Hidden talent: Able to shake my eyes
Sport you're best at other than swimming: Golf
Favorite moment of your swimming career: Practicing everyday with my friends
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