Upper St. Clair swimmer peaks interest
How well does Braedon Wong swim? So fine that he holds the record at Upper St. Clair High School in his fourth-best stroke.
“Interestingly,” said USC head coach David Shraven, “Braedon’s weakest stroke is the breaststroke and he’s the school record holder in that event. So that is kind of interesting.”
However, it is hardly thought provoking how Wong has become one of the best in the breaststroke as well as one of the top swimmers in the WPIAL and state in the other three disciplines. Wong won a plethora of medals in last year’s district and PIAA championships. In December, he posted a personal best time of 49.22 in the butterfly during the USA Junior National swimming championships held at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta.
“Braedon is very conscientious in what he does in swimming and that manifests itself in great technique and anybody who would watch him swim would notice right away that he has really good technique,” Shraven said. “And that is in all four strokes. He’s strong in all four strokes.”
Indeed, Wong placed fourth in the 100-yard fly at the 2015 PIAA championships and sixth in the backstroke. He was the WPIAL runner-up to teammate Kevin Liu in the back and a sixth-place finisher in the fly. After claiming two gold medals and setting new district standards in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, Wong helped the medley unit set the new state standard at last year’s PIAA finals. In addition to that gold-medal performance, he also helped the 400 relay take runner-up honors at states.
In 2016, Wong is expecting to lead the Panthers to bigger and better things. USC finished runner-up to North Allegheny in the WPIAL team standings and La Salle College in the PIAA rankings last winter. The Panthers are 4-1 this season with their lone loss to the Tigers. However, in that meet against NA, Wong helped USC go 1-2 in three events: Liu and freshman Jack Fitzpatrick in the 200 individual medley and back; Wong and Ole Minuth in the fly. NA, however, went 1-2-3 in most of the free events to seal the victory.
“NA and La Salle are two of the top teams in the states,” explained Shraven, “and we hope to give them a run for their money but we have to get through the section first,” he added, noting a key showdown set for Feb. 18 at Mt. Lebanon.
“Our goals are based on what we can control, not on what others do. We have a lot of good swimmers and we will do well if we take care of the things we can control. We will win our share of events at WPIALs and states.”
Wong plans to lead the way. Because of the valuable experience he gained at states, the soon-to-be 18-year-old senior expects to challenge for a gold medal in the fly. He embraces the opportunity to race the top guys. “It’s what drives me,” he said.
Ever since he jumped into a country club pool in Texas, before he even knew how to swim, Wong has been driven to excel in swimming. “I just love to be in the water,” he said.
Wong also enjoys challenging himself and surrounding himself around excellence. “I’m conscientious about setting my own goals and I have the self drive to want to achieve them,” he said. “I watch the top swimmers and I have great coaches. To be the best you have to focus on technique. You can watch your peers and learn from them but technique is the one constant that helps you the most.”
Training in the same pool with the likes of Ryan Dudzinski, now a freshman at Stanford, Finn Minuth, who is at South Carolina, and Jake Johnsen sharpened Wong’s skills. “Last year, we had one of the fastest senior classes around, probably in the country, and when you are in the pool practicing with swimmers like that, then you stay sharp and it motivates you. It makes you better every day.”
As a team captain, Wong is motivated to make his teammates better and keep USC at the forefront of scholastic swimming. “Individually, my motivation is to leave an impact on the program in a positive way. I want to help keep the program at the top.”
According to Shraven, Wong’s leadership skills are doing just that. “I have always had in my mind what an ideal captain would be like and I have rarely seen one until Braedon,” he said. “He demonstrates true leadership.” Shraven also noted that participation in USC Leadership Academy has made a difference. Wong agreed that five years enrolled in the national award-winning program has cultivated his ability to direct others, particularly his teammates.
“We all can be leaders. We all lead our own lives,” he said, reciting the academy’s mantra, for which he wrote a curriculum for ages 12 and under. “What I try to teach others is what I try to emphasis in my own life. Integrity, reflection and commitment are three of the 10 core values (of the academy) that are important to me. They are ingrained in me and I try to put them into practice. They have made me a better person and they are making us a better team.
“We have a good team this year,” he continued. “One reason is because we are big on setting little goals and holding everybody accountable for them. If everybody does their part, they we can contend like we did last year. Each of these goals are steppingstones and we keep each other accountable for them.”
Swimming along with academics have been steppingstones towards Wong’s collegiate and career endeavors. A National Merit Scholarship commended student, who possesses a 4.75 weighted GPA, Wong will continue his athletic career at Cornell University. While also enrolled in the Navy ROTC program, he plans to major in mechanical engineering with an aerospace concentration. He wants to become a pilot and eventually an astronaut. Wong selected Cornell over the Naval Academy.
“You can’t argue with the Ivy League education,” he said. “But, when I went to visit, I saw a campus that I could really fit into. The passion the coaching staff has and the swimmers have for the sport while balancing the academics really influenced me and made me think why I wanted to go to school and swim. So, it was that combination and the campus life that swayed me in favor of Cornell.”
Though butterfly is his favorite stroke, Wong recognizes that his sprinting orientation will likely land him a spot on the Big Red roster. “It’s hard to imagine (college) goals but I am the fastest sprinter in all strokes in my recruiting class so I want to be on the medley and free relays to start,” he said. “Obviously, any swimmer wants to qualify for the NCAAs.”
But right now, Wong is only worried about his Panthers and keeping the standards high. “I want to be remembered as somebody who helped keep the program active and competitive,” he said. “Keep the legacy going.”
Long into the future, Shraven has no doubt that Wong will carve out his own mark. “Braedon’s one of those kids where the sky’s the limit. No question,” Shraven said, “he will do something interesting and exceed all expectations.”