National swimmer

Perry Hull had high hopes for his senior swimming season. But as he dived into the pool in November, things were not turning out as planned.

Coming off of the football season, his times were not where he needed them to be in order to be on track for a berth in the OHSAA state meet. And then, just six days before Christmas, his father, Thomas, died of a heart attack at age 43.

Needless to say, focusing on the pool was difficult after that. And months later, a frustrated Hull had had enough.

"I decided, 'I just want to quit. I don't want to do this anymore,'" said Hull, a Fort Recovery High School senior, recently. "I was doubting myself."

Despite those doubts, he stuck it out, thanks to some encouraging words from his Auglaize Mercer Family YMCA (AMFY) coach Dawn Schwieterman. And this month, that decision paid off.

After qualifying in March, Hull and several of his AMFY teammates competed in the YMCA 2010 Short Course Swimming Championship this month in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"I was just so frustrated this year," said Hull, who missed his chance at a berth in the OHSAA state finals. "Last year, I was frustrated, but I thought, 'Hey, I still have next year.' ... Now that I've gotten to nationals ... I have a chance to swim with the best in America."

And he said he believes his father had something to do with his late-season turn-around.

"I think he's probably up there helping me," Hull said.

Although Hull and his teammates had been close to making the cut time for the national meet in the previous two years, reaching the goal this year came as a bit of a surprise because of the way the season had unfolded. But in the second-to-last opportunity of the year, at Miami University, Hull and 200-yard freestyle relay teammates Sean Anthony (Coldwater) and brothers Jason and Josh Fleagle (St. Marys) came through.

Hull said he felt some pressure to do well at the meet, because the final meet of the year was scheduled for Bowling Green State University.

"I've never swam well there," said Hull of BGSU. "Out of nowhere (at Miami) I just had a good burst of speed for my leg, and it felt really good. I've been working for this goal for a while now."

The reward was a trip to Florida for the national meet, which was held April 7-10.

Hull, Anthony and the Fleagles posted a time of 1 minute, 30.35 seconds, just a couple of tenths off of their qualifying time, at the national meet to finish 46th in a field of 67 teams from all over the country.

Hull's split in the relay was a 23.34, the best of his career.

He also competed in the time trail portion of the meet in both the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. His time in the fly was a 56.84, which was six seconds faster than he had swam just six weeks earlier.

"That was really cool, because at the beginning of last month I was at a 1:02, and at the meet I cut it down to a 56," said Hull. "I was pretty excited for that.

"(The experience) was great. It was really neat knowing I was in a pool where some of the greatest swimmers swam, like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, just a whole bunch of people who (have competed) in the Olympics. It was a real honor to swim there. . It was really fun."

Hull started swimming in the Jay County summer program at age 8, partly because he didn't enjoy baseball. He eventually joined the Jay County winter program as well, and made a trip to the Indiana Age Group State Championships with Jay County's Aaron Hudson and Sam Miller and South Adams' Justin Klopp.

"I just jumped in as a jittery little 8-year-old," said Hull of his start. "Sam and Aaron became two of my best friends. Swimming has opened a lot of doors for me ..."

For that reason, Hull said he's hoping his swimming career can help open doors for others.

He was a member of the inaugural Fort Recovery High School swim team and one of the founders of the Fort Recovery Eels summer swim team. He said he wants to see other swimmers from his hometown enjoy even greater success in the pool than he has.

"I want the kids on the Eels swim team to have fun ... and move on to the high school team ... and either go to state or possibly go to nationals as well," said Hull, noting that he would like to be a high school swimming coach someday. "That would be really cool."[[In-content Ad]]