Junior Austin Hirstein set a USA Swimming Western Zone Region record in the 100 backstroke on August 13. With a time of 59.66, he took first place in that event at the Western Zone Region Championships for the age 15-16 age bracket. His time was almost 2 seconds faster the winning time in the 17-18 age bracket.

Hirstein takes off in a backstroke event.

Hirstein also won gold at the Western Zones in the 200 backstroke and a silver in the 200 Individual Medley. The Western Zone Region covers 11 western states.

Hirstein (right) poised on the block for the Individual Medley.

Hirstein’s time in the 100 backstroke was just over two seconds away from a qualifying time for Olympic trials next spring. He now has an additional goal during this school year, as he works to shave 2.7 seconds off of his backstroke event in hopes of making it to the Olympic trials in Omaha, June 25-July 2, 2012. Does he think he can make it? “Well, I’ve shaved 5 seconds off my 100 backstroke since the Western Regionals last year,” responded Hirstein. “What I’ve been doing must be working, so I will just continue doing it, just more of it, and see what happens.”

All this has come through hard work for an athlete who had not been swimming competitively until seventh grade. Where does he get the motivation to get to the gym at 4 a.m. each day to work out, and then spend practice time in the pool twice a day? “Each time I have success in a meet, it fires my motivation to keep improving and meeting my goals,” said Hirstein.

Those goals are tacked up in his bathroom as daily reminders. “I have short term, mid-term and long term goals,” Hirstein explained. “It was a great feeling to cross off the last of my short term goals awhile back,” he confessed. Now he is focused on the mid-term goals, two of which he accomplished in the Western Zone Regionals: breaking the minute mark for the 100 backstroke, and getting a Junior National time.

One of Hirstein's several medals from the Western Zone Regionals Championships.

He has two particular long-term goals: swimming for a college team, and, of course, making it to and being successful in the Olympic Team trials next spring. He credits his club team coach, Dexter Lee, and his school coach, Ron Tsuchiya, for helping him with training and encouraging him to excel. “When the competition in a meet isn’t pushing me hard, I just imagine a swimmer ahead of me in the next lane and I push myself to beat that person,“ Hirstein revealed.

In any event, Navigator fans will be looking forward to swim season, to see if Hirstein can achieve another of his mid-range goals this year: winning a state title or breaking a state record.