When swimming state champion Logan Hotchkiss hits the pool, he has only one thought in mind.
“I just think about my turns,” said the 18-year-old Malibu High student. “I try not to think about all the other people and trying to beat them until near the end of the race. At the beginning, I just think about holding my turns.”
In preparation for his senior campaign on the Sharks swim team, the 6-foot-2 freestyle swimmer has been hitting the water with the Malibu Seawolves, a full-service swim club run by Swim Fit LA, and he has been producing results similar to what he does for Malibu High in California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) waters.
During the Dec. 12-14 Winter Age Group Championships (WAGS) in Monterey Park, Hotchkiss, who has laid claim to six CIF titles, came in second place in the boys 15 and over 100-yard freestyle with a time of 46.58. He came in third place in the same division’s 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:41.27. Additionally, Hotchkiss was a part of the Seawolves’ boys relay squad, swam off with two top finishes and, during the Dec.19-22 Speedo Champions Series CA/ NV Sectionals, Hotchkiss’ time of 1:41.35 was good enough for seventh in the 200 freestyle. He also had a ninth place time of 4:33.45 in the 500 freestyle finals.
Hotchkiss said he was happy with 200 swimming time at WAGS, but wanted more out of himself.
“I wanted to go faster,” he said.
First-year Seawolves’ owner and coach Max Jaben said Hotchkiss had a standout meet.
“He is there every day working hard,” he said. “He is a great swimmer. He is one of the best swimmers in Southern California.”
Jaben, an assistant swimming coach at Malibu High two years ago and the owner of Swim Fit LA, purchased the Seawolves in August.
There currently are around 70 youths ages five and up, that are a part of the Seawolves. It includes the Sea Lions — kids learning how to swim.
Jaben said there are a lot of changes taking place with the club.
“With changes, there are bumps in the road sometimes, but, for the most part, we are heading in a really cool direction,” he said. “We had a really good first quarter.”
The Seawolves saw great results at WAGS. Hotchkiss, 17-year-old Owen Franz, 17-year-old Thelen McKinna- Worrell and 17-year-old Alec Wilimovsky formed an impressive relay team and won the boys 15 and over 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:27.26. The quartet beat second-place Westside Aquatics by four seconds.
The four then out-swam 15 other teams in order to win the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:15.77. They came in fourth place in the 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 7:17.18.
Jaben praised all the swimmers, including McKinna- Worrell, who is taking his first dive into water as a competitive swimmer. McKinna-Worrell has also found success while catching waves as pro junior surfer.
“He is such a cool kid,” Jaben said. “That was his second swim meet ever. The guy has so much raw speed it’s crazy.”
Franz, Wilmovsky and Hotchkiss were three of the four members of last season’s CIF-winning 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay teams.
Hotchkiss said the foursome, which also swims together for the Sharks this season, has sights set on breaking the CIF 500 relay and the 100 relay records.
“We were pretty close to those last year,” he said.
In the girls division, a relay group composed of Angela Drake, Kate Pietrzyk, Amy Perna and Sorin Moore came in eighth place in the 400 free relay. Their time was 3:56.44.
“Those girls had a blast,” their coach said. “It was the first time they could do something as a team and represent the city of Malibu. They are the future of the program.”
The girls, who are 13 and 14 years old, have a lot of potential to get better, said Jaben.
“When they are in high school they are going to be swimming on a relay together,” he said.
Jaben said while the program has many goals, the main this year is to continue to help Hotchkiss improve.
“His name is all over the record board already,” he said. “It is really important that I do the right things with him and to help him get into a good school. He is the best swimmer to ever come out of Malibu.”
Hotchkiss has nothing but praise for the Seawolves and Jaben, a former pro swimmer.
“It is a solid program,” he said. “Max was a really good swimmer. He has been to the top of the mountain and he knows what is going on with everything.”
Jaben said he wants the Seawolves to eventually be known throughout Southern California.
“Southern California swimming is the mecca of USA swimming,” he said. “I would like to compete with some of the surrounding larger cities. There is no reason that Malibu, with such an aquatic culture, surf culture and beach culture, can’t have a program that is inviting newcomer and younger swimmers and also a platform to swimmers like Logan that want to get college scholarships and potentially make the USA national team one day. That is our vision.”
