Even though it was more than a week ago, it just keeps getting better for Andover's Nick D'Innocenzo.
"It hit me the other night that I will be entered in the same event at the same meet as (six-time Olympic gold medalist) Michael Phelps," he said. "That is so weird to think about."
On April 24, D'Innocenzo qualified for the Olympic trials in the 200 individual medley by swimming a 2:06.52 at the YR Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo, Calif. That easily topped the Olympic trial cut of 2:07.39.
"By the time I finished I didn't know if I made it," said the Magnus Aquatic team member. "I looked up and saw I did and just said, 'Thank God.' I just looked over at my coach (Mike Springs) with a look of disbelief, and he was laughing and hollering."
That time also set a new New England record in the 200 IM for the 16-to-18 age group. The previous mark was 2:06.95 set in 2002, according to neswimming.org.
"I called my mom after the race, and she asked me if I had any news," he said. "I said yes and I think she broke the ear piece on the phone."
The Olympic trials will take place from June 29 to July 6 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.
"I don't believe the (Merrimack) Valley has ever had a high school male make the trials," said Spring, who is in his 15th year coaching in the area. "Going through our records, I think he may be the first."
But after coming up just 0.13 seconds short of the cut at the NCSA Junior Nationals in March, D'Innocenzo was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen.
"It was brutal," he said. "Falling 0.13 short was cruel. I was definitely frustrated, and I felt like that was just the story of my life. So we were back in the pool the next week and I used that frustration to work harder."
And, with only three meets remaining before the cutoff, D'Innocenzo reached the mark in California.
"The feeling was just indescribable," he said. "That long-awaited feeling of getting that monkey off your back is so amazing. It is the largest individual accomplishment of my swimming career."
According to the list of qualifiers on usaswimming.org, the 17-year-old was one of only 19 qualifiers under the age of 18 out of the 108 listed.
"A year ago this wasn't even in our sights," said Spring. "But over the course of a year it is amazing to see how far he has come. He works hard and is the most focused athlete I have ever coached. High-profile schools like Stanford and Texas are already flooding my e-mail inbox."
But, D'Innocenzo is far from satisfied by his accomplishment.
"This is a stepping stone," he said. "It is incredible. But now there is that dream to someday actually make the Olympics."
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Here are the Andover swimmers who have qualified for the Olympic trials, according to Marilyn Fitzgerald, the dean of Merrimack Valley swim coaches.
- Nick D'Innocenzo
- Connie Brown
- Sally Brown
- Candice Peak
- Laurene Lazzaretti
