Mackey a quadruple threat

Steve Virgen

The individual medley calls for a swimmer who possesses great

endurance and an ability to perform well in four strokes: backstroke,

breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.

Since the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials, Nicole Mackey has been

excelling in various strokes, seeking to find her niche. In 2004, she

seems to have found it.

Mackey, 19, a former Newport Harbor High standout who will be a

sophomore at the University of Hawaii, will be competing in the 200-

and 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic swim trials that

begin Wednesday in Long Beach.

With her strength, talent and continuing improvement, she appears

capable of reaching the finals in both events, and that is her goal.

Once there, she is hoping to make the best of her situation.

“Once you get there, anything can go,” said Mackey, who has been

training in UC Irvine’s pool. “It’s a weird meet and you never know

what’s going to happen.”

Mackey was at the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis, where

she witnessed that anything can happen. She saw Gabrielle Rose, who

was seeded low, finish second in the 200 IM to make the U.S. Olympic

team. Team USA takes the top two in each event.

While Mackey was at the 2000 Olympic trials, she gained valuable

experience aside from watching Rose surpass expectations.

“At my first trials, I was really scared,” Mackey said. “I was one

of the youngest girls there and one of the shortest. I was so young.

That was my first national meet. It was just crazy.”

After making a name for herself at Newport Harbor, and recently as

an All-American at Hawaii, Mackey is different than the frightened

15-year-old who was seemingly just along for the ride in 2000.

“I’m way more experienced now,” Mackey said. “I’ve competed in

national meets. I pretty much know who swims what times and what I

need to do.”

Mackey knows the favorite in both IM events: Kaitlin Sandeno, a

former El Toro star. Sandeno took home the bronze in the 800

freestyle at the 2000 Games and was fourth in the 400 IM and sixth in

the 200 butterfly. She won the 400 IM at the Olympic trials in 2000.

Mackey finished sixth in the 400 IM at the Janet Evans

invitational June 12. She finished in 4 minutes, 54.34 seconds and

became familiar with the venue, the Charter All-Digital Aquatic

Centre, which will be the site of the 2004 U.S. Olympic trials.

Mackey has also become familiar with her two events. Through

diligence and a passion to improve, Mackey has been able to gain more

confidence in swimming.

“She’s very athletic and has a great feel for the water,” said

Brian Pajer, the UCI head man who coached Mackey when she was 14.

“She definitely has potential to go faster in all of those events.

What’s rare with her is that she has great power. She has the ability

to remain with the power the whole way through.”

Mackey is now working with Brent Lorenzen, who assists Pajer at

UCI. Mackey’s friend and former Newport Harbor teammate, Hayley

Peirsol, asked Mackey to train with her. Peirsol is also competing in

the Olympic trials.

Mackey was set to train with the Irvine Novaquatics, but Peirsol

called her so she would not be alone.

“The workouts are not really fun,” Mackey said. “If you get

someone with you, it’s better. We are training for each other. I wake

up in the morning and sometimes I don’t want to go, but I think about

her. We are there for each other, helping each other out. I’m good at

what she lacks and she’s good at what I lack.”

Lorenzen has noticed Mackey’s athleticism and said she should do

well at the Olympic trials.

“I had never coached Nicole before this summer, but I’ve always

been impressed with her,” Lorenzen said. “I think the two of them

training together has been very valuable. They get along real well.”

Last year, before Peirsol earned the silver medal in the 1,500

free at the FINA World championships, she trained with Mackey, who

found the workouts difficult, but meaningful. Peirsol is a distance

freestyle swimmer.

“No one could keep up with her intervals,” Mackey said. “It is

tough.”

While Peirsol trained for the World championships, Mackey prepared

for the World University Games in Korea, where she ended up making

the most of her situation. She was treated just as a professional

athlete, she said, as random people asked for her autograph. She also

had security at her living quarters.

However, Mackey was not comfortable with the food in Korea, which

resulted in losing 10 pounds in three weeks.

“It was the best and worst experience of my life,” Mackey said.

“But I had a lot of fun.”

Mackey is expecting to have fun again, but she is also serious

about her events. She will be in the 400 IM preliminaries during

Wednesday’s morning session, and hopes to reach the final in the

evening. She is in the 200 IM Friday, and the final is the following

day.