Brookings’ Cody Vertin competes at swimming Junior Nationals

BROOKINGS – The 2022 Speedo Junior National Championships were recently held in Irvine, Calif. and Brookings’ Cody Vertin was among the competitors.
In fact, he was the only swimmer from South Dakota to qualify for the event.
“These are the fastest 18 and under swimmers in the nation,” said Cassie Hendricks, head coach of the Brookings Swim Club, who accompanied Vertin to California. “It’s a pretty big deal to qualify for this swim meet.”
To Hendricks’ knowledge the Brookings Swim Club has not had any member qualify for junior nationals in the last 25 years that the club has existed.
There are two different national events, one in the fall and one in the winter. The summer championships, however, are far more difficult to qualify for as there is just one location where all qualifiers meet up, while in the winter there are two, meaning that the standards are easier to meet.
Not that those standards are easy, regardless of whether it’s the summer or winter nationals.
Vertin qualified for both events at the Speedo Sectionals Championship Meet back in March in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc. Not only was he two seconds under the junior nationals qualifying time in the 200 Meter Breaststroke, which is his top race, but he touched the wall first to win it.
Hendricks says that Vertin qualifying is the result of his motivation to get better every day, a seemingly incessant urge that drives him.
“Cody is one of the most driven people I’ve ever met,” Hendricks said. “His internal motivation is crazy. He will outwork any one on any day. Getting him to slow down and rest sometimes is one of my bigger challenges in coaching him.”
Hendricks recalls one instance of that practice regime that sticks out amongst many.
“During Christmas break last year he made his parents wake up at 3 a.m. to drive him home from Minneapolis to make it back for 7 a.m. workouts,” Hendricks said.
“Cody hasn’t missed a single practice in the last year unless it was because he was at a swim meet,” Hendricks added.

That includes early morning practices, dry land training, among many things that others don’t have the drive or willingness to do.

Prepping for nationals
Vertin has been posting top times in the pool for years, using local and regional events to prep for participating at the national level, while along the way setting expectations of how to get to the top level.
“The local season included going to meets and working towards successful race strategy,” Hendricks said. “At Cody’s level these meets are used as part of our training plan and to practice race strategy to set him up for success at the end of the season.”
“He had the opportunity to swim at a few high-level meets before junior nationals against high-level swimmers including NCAA qualifying swimmers from the Big 10 conference and other prominent age group swimmers,” Hendricks added.

Race day
Being the only swimmer from South Dakota to qualify for junior nationals was a major accomplishment, one that Vertin doesn’t take lightly.
“It’s exciting,” Vertin said. “It’s a pretty special opportunity to come out to California and race the best 18-and-under swimmers in the country.”
“Cody definitely earned his spot to be here,” Hendricks added. “I am very confident in Cody’s ability to rise to the occasion and compete very well against other high-level athletes like himself.”
Vertin wound up placing in the top half of standings in the 200 Meter Breaststroke, taking 45th place out of 94 competitors, posting his second-fastest mark ever, a time of 2:22.21.
Additionally, Vertin swam a time trial in the 200 Meter Individual Medley, recording a personal best time of 2:10.52 that was over a second better than his previous best.

Looking to the future
Vertin, who qualified for junior nationals as a 16-year-old but is now 17, enters his final year at Brookings High School this fall. Swimming in college was always a goal, but just recently Vertin made it official that after this season he will be trading his red and black swim cap of the Brookings Swim Club for the blue and yellow of South Dakota State.
“Last weekend I verbally committed to swim for the SDSU Jackrabbits,” Vertin said. “I’m super excited to be a part of that team in the fall of 2023.”
Hendricks says seeing Vertin commit to swim in college is another step in the journey that she has been along with for the ride.
“Coaching Cody over the last two-and-a-half years and watching him grow into who he is today has been so much fun,” Hendricks said. “It’s crazy to look back at the progress he’s made, and I am so glad I’ve been part of his journey.”
Staying local will also give Vertin the opportunity to continue to be someone younger swim club members can look up to.
“Cody makes a big impact on our younger Brookings swimmers by being such a great role model and always encouraging them,” Hendricks said. “He also is a great role model to other younger South Dakota swimmers and always has a crew of them hanging out with him at our swim meets.”
Vertin also teaches swim lessons to youth in the Brookings community through the Swim America lesson program.