BRIEFS

JACKSON WINS TI2Y

James Jackson didn’t expect much when he went to compete in the waters of the San Francisco Bay.

This was his outlet of sorts because he had conceded that trying to match the level of NCAA Division I swimming or water polo was impossible. But that never stopped him from maintaining his passion.

Jackson, who graduated from Newport Harbor High last spring, won the Treasure Island to YMCA race on Saturday. The TI2Y is a 1.5-mile, open-water swim from Treasure Island to the Embarcadero. Jackson won in 28 minutes, 28.5 seconds.

“I was just looking for something different,” said Jackson, who played water polo and competed in swimming at Newport Harbor, yet joined the triathlon club at UC Berkeley, where he is an engineer major. “I wanted to keep up with a sport. I thought it would be pretty cool.”

Jackson said he heard about the race, that included 257 competitors, from his friends on the triathlon club. He’s yet to compete in a triathlon, but looks forward to it.

He also plans to compete in the TI2Y next year, and he wants to do it without a wetsuit.

Jackson, who was part of the Sailors’ Sea View League championship in boys swimming last spring, said the wet suit helped prevent distractions on Saturday.

He said one of the swimmers he was trailing went off the course, which allowed Jackson to take over.

— Steve Virgen