Swimmer preps for national competition

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Twelve-year-old Luke Hanner has had his fair share of record-setting swims in the past five years, but sometimes even the best swims can conjure up the worst memories.

Such was the case last year, when Hanner was preparing to swim in the finals of the 200-meter butterfly — his favorite stroke — against a field of mostly 15-year-olds. But it wasn’t his competitors’ age that would prove to be the most troublesome for Hanner. Instead, it would be the lack of competitors.

Hanner was the first alternate in the finals and was scheduled to swim in the second heat, but by the time the race was scheduled to begin, all of his competitors had dropped out of the race, forcing Hanner to swim the event all by himself.

“I didn’t know until I was up on the blocks,” said Hanner, who swims for the Lakewood Ranch Swim Association. “I was all alone, and they almost ended the meet before I could swim it. I was a bit scared and nervous, but I actually did really well; and everyone who was left in the pool came to the end of my lane and was cheering me on.”

The lack of competition didn’t seem to effect Hanner once he hit the water. He dropped six seconds off his time and made Junior Olympic time for the 13-14 division.

Now a year later, the Haile Middle School eighth-grader, who has made Junior Olympic times in every event he swims, is hoping to continue his record-setting ways as he prepares to represent the Florida Zone team at the Southern Zones Swim Meet July 27-31 at Georgia Tech University.

Hanner was one of seven swimmers selected from across the state to make the 11-12 boys team. The top seven swimmers in each of three age categories who don’t have a U.S. Open Time were selected for the Florida Zone team.

“I’ve been planning ahead for this for (a while), but this is the first year that I really had a chance to make it,” Hanner said.

At the meet, Hanner, who will face swimmers spanning from Virginia to Texas, is scheduled to swim six events, including the 50, 100, 200 and 400 freestyle and the 50 and 100 butterfly.

“I want to get one or two medals in the butterfly; and I really want to improve my times and get in the top eight or make the finals in the rest,” Hanner said.

Hanner currently is ranked in the top 35 in the country in all six events, including fifth in the 200 freestyle, eighth in the 400 freestyle and 10th in the 50 butterfly.

“It’s really unusual,” coach Mike Johnson said. “He’s a special swimmer to be ranked at his age.”

Joining Hanner at the Southern Zones Swim Meet will be his good friend and competitor Campbell Lee, 12, who swims for the Sarasota Sharks. And although Hanner won’t have an opportunity to practice with his Florida Zone teammates until July 27 when they arrive in Georgia, he already knows the competition — at least from Lee — will be fierce.

“We all know what we’re good at and we joke around a lot,” he said. “If we beat each other or come close, then we know we did a good job.”

Hanner began swimming when he was 6 years old after his family got a pool. His parents wanted him to learn how to swim, so they had him join the Lakewood Ranch Swim Association, a summer league at the time. He quickly became one of the Lightning’s most dominant swimmers.

“I was evidently pretty good because I moved up pretty fast,” Hanner said. “I just enjoy being with my friends, swimming and doing well.”

Today, Hanner practices two hours a day six days a week with an additional one-and-one-half hours on Wednesdays and 45 minutes of dry land exercises on Saturdays. This summer, Hanner also began training long course twice a week at Arlington Park to prepare for the 2010 Florida Swimming Long Course Junior Olympic Championships July 15-18 and other long course meets.

Hanner’s hard work paid off this past weekend when he won gold medals in the 100 freestyle and 50 and 100 butterfly in the 11-12 boys division. He also won silver medals in the 50 and 200 freestyle and a bronze medal in the 400 freestyle.

And while Hanner is still undecided as to whether he’ll swim for his high school next year, Hanner has number of lofty goals he hopes to obtain, including making U.S. Open and Junior National Times and making it to the Olympic trials.

“If I made it to the Olympics, that would be completely great,” Hanner said.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].