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Bethel Park freshman making waves with record swims

By Eleanor Bailey 7 min read
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Photo caption: Jackson Edwards catches his breath after his record-breaking swims. The Bethel Park freshman shattered the pool marks in the 100-yard backstroke and 200 freestyle races during a dual meet against Peters Township.

Ever since Jackson Edwards started swimming at age 7, the Bethel Park freshman has been smashing records. He owns Allegheny Mountain Swimming marks in several backstroke events as well as multiple pool and school standards.

What Edwards did on Jan. 18 in a dual meet against Peters Township, however, was not only special but a rarity in the swimming world.

While he lowered the 100-yard backstroke time to 51.43, Edwards also shattered the long-standing mark (1:42.43) in the 200 freestyle in front of an audience that included the previous record holder.

Alex Hardwick, 28, set the record when he was a student at Upper St. Clair High School. The Emory University graduate is the current Peters Township swim coach. He also coached Edwards as a youth.

“He was one of my favorite coaches. A fun and energetic guy,” Edwards said. “He knows how to get you ready for a swim. He’s a great swimmer and person. I aspire to be like him.”

Hardwick predicts Edwards will surpass him and his achievements.

At the scholastic level, Hardwick was a 13-time All-American, 12-time PIAA state medalist, 7-time WPIAL champion. He was a multiple pool, team and district record holder and competed on USC’s WPIAL team championship club in 2011. At the collegiate level, Hardwick was a five-time NCAA Division III champion and six-time NCAA All-American. Part of Emory’s first NCAA title team, he set several freestyle and relay records.

“The sky’s the limit for Jackson,” Hardwick said. “He’s got a lot of talent and he’s fun to watch. He has the skill set to be something special. He’s on a great trajectory. Fingers crossed, he has a lot of potential. He’s going to take himself places.”

Hardwick noted that it took him four years to set his record, and during that senior year in high school, he only took third in the state championships.

“It’s nice to be a coach watching kids go faster than you did. As a swimmer you go after the big names on the boards. For me that was Jerry Koller (Bethel Park) and Tom Hay (Peters Township). It’s a breath of fresh air to see the next generation chasing down our names. It was an honor to watch Jackson do it.”

Halfway through the race, Hardwick wasn’t sure Edwards would break the record. Edwards said he took the first 50 out “too fast” so his second 50 was behind pace.

“The funniest thing was that at the 100, I thought I was safe,” said Hardwick, “but Jackson’s last 50 was phenomenal. As a record holder, you know where you were and I was ahead of him.

“His last 50 was something else. Most swimmers are just hanging on at that point and I was,” Hardwick emphasized. “Jackson looked like he was accelerating. It was neat to watch.”

Edwards admitted fatigue but his mental strength propelled him to victory as well as the new pool standard.

“The last 50, I just pushed through. I focused on technique. I really wanted that record because all my family was there and I knew that my coaches are friends. (Hardwick) wished me luck before the race and told me I did a nice job after.”

Edwards was not finished, however. Later in the meet, he lowered the pool record in the backstroke. The time of 51.43 though is not his fastest time this season.

During the Jim Stacy Winter Championship meet held in Geneva, Ohio, Edwards broke the team record held by Dom Cortopassi with a 50.02 time. He also set the meet mark in that event as well as set the 50-yard freestyle standard with a 20.91 time.

“Jackson is a very special talent and I would not put a limit on his potential,” said BP skipper Jeff Gavin.

Gavin noted though what Edwards is doing in scholastic swimming is unusual.

“In swimming, we often see freshman females come in and make an immediate impact on the team and in the district,” he said. “It is rare to have a freshman boy come in and do the same. It is even more extreme that Jackson is ranked in the top four in the 50 free and second in the 100 back for state rankings this year, among seniors that are Division 1 commits.”

Currently, Edwards ranks No. 1 in the WPIAL in the 50 free and 100 back. He is expected to compete in those events during the championships set for Feb. 29 and March 1 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool.

“We hope to see him uphold those fast swims and have a dramatic impact on the WPIAL and Pennsylvania swimming,” Gavin said. “We are more excited for the impact he will have on our relay potential. He adds great value to the team in the fact that we can use him in a lot of spots to provide support for the rest of the team.”

The Black Hawks are Edwards’s priority. He wants to restore the tradition that produced a record 29 WPIAL team championships, 20 of them consecutive, to Bethel Park.

“For me, swimming is not all about records,” Edwards said. “They are nice but I don’t pay too much attention to them because I want to try to make Bethel Park good again. I want to make my team love the sport more. Through swimming, I have made so many friends and relationships. They define who I am today”

Edwards is a fourth generation Bethel Park athlete. His grandfather, Glenn Nordstrom (football, basketball), and uncle, Carl Nordstrom (baseball), were inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame athletes in 2022. However, it was his father, Brian, a multiple sport athlete from Virginia, who introduced him to swimming. He signed Edwards up for private lessons at the Rose Garden swimming club in McMurray.

“I stuck with it,” said the 15-year-old son of Rachelle Edwards.

While he was “always faster” than those opponents in the BP recreation program, Edwards said that he didn’t “really get that great” until he started swimming for the Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics (PEAQ). He started with the program that operates out of Upper St. Clair High School in the winter and Scott Township pool in the summer under Dave Schraven, but now, he strictly trains with Team Pittsburgh’s PEAQ squad under Marian Clark and Zach Breeding.

“With PEAQ, I have progressed faster,” he explained.

Edwards most recently competed in Junior Nationals this winter and he is looking to lower his backstroke time to be competitive with his PEAQ teammate, William Gao.

A standout at North Allegheny, Gao will be Edwards’ primary competitor at WPIALs. Gao won the 100 back last year with a time of 52.33. This winter, however, he already has lowered his times to well under 50 seconds, says Edwards.

“I want to try and win WPIALs in the back but I am not sure about the 50 free,” Edwards said. “It will be fun racing (Gao). That will push me to my limit.

“Since it’s my first year, I want to just see how well I can do and qualify for states. I’m just experimenting. But when I get up to the blocks, put in some music, get my body ready, wake up my muscles and relax. I don’t feel nervous. When I swim. I have confidence in my ability.

“I feel the race is over before it starts because if you put in the hard work, then you will be good.”

Gavin predicts a positive progression for Edwards because he has just started lifting and has room to develop his 6-foot, 155-pound frame.

“He will continue to grow physically and with his commitment and determination, he is almost certain to continue to improve,” he said.

“It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly makes Jackson special. He is first of all, blessed with an incredible natural talent and feel for the water. He also has an outstanding work ethic. He rarely misses a practice, does his best in all sets, and will spend extra time at the pool focusing on the minute details of his strokes.

“Jackson is committed to being the best swimmer he can and it shows to his teammates and coaches. He does not get discouraged by setbacks or frustrations but uses them as a growth and learning opportunity. Overall, he is special because he does the little things that should be routine and expected but are sometimes the hardest for people to maintain.”

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