Jayna Wittenbrink: Looking to the Future

Senior Jayna Wittenbrink wins the girls’ 100 fly with a time of 56:42 at the De Anza Division Championships last season.

Courtesy of Keith Peters/ Palo Alto Online

Senior Jayna Wittenbrink wins the girls’ 100 fly with a time of 56:42 at the De Anza Division Championships last season.

Senior Jayna Wittenbrink reflects on her years participating in both Paly swimming as well as club swimming at PASA. She is proud of her achievements, but also feels a sense of gratitude toward her supportive teammates, who have been extremely encouraging.

She cites her proudest moment in club swimming as her performance in the 100-fly, an achievement only elevated by the unparalleled support provided by her teammates.

While looking back on her swimming career, Wittenbrink recalls a defining moment in the pool.

“My proudest event in club swimming is probably the 100-fly, because I was able to make my Junior National cut, which I had been working on for around a year,” Wittenbrink said. “My teammates were cheering for me the whole way; when I finished at 1:02.47 (long course meters), they ran behind the blocks and bear hugged me when I got out of the pool. The accomplishment was exciting and rewarding in itself, but more with all of their support.”

In terms of her work within Paly swimming, she is also proud of her times in 100-fly, an ardous, but thrilling achievement.

“In high school swimming for the 100-fly I went 55.33 (short course yards) during CCS, which was an exciting time drop for me,” Wittenbrink said. “It’s amazing to feel hard work pay off in the end.”

Wittenbrink expresses interest in continuing her swimming endeavors when she goes to college.

“I plan to swim all four years in college, hopefully at an Ivy,” Wittenbrink said. “I’m still figuring it out, but I am swimming!”

With one last season, Wittenbrink’s Palo Alto swimming time is almost over, but college swimming is something to look forward too.