North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week eyeing her sister's school records
Jessie Wolf was 10 years old when she started club swimming, very late for a sport that starts age group swimming almost as soon as kids start school.
"Growing up, I did almost every other sport − soccer, basketball, lacrosse and track, but my mom kept wanting me to get into swimming," Wolf remembers. "My sister (Madeline) was very good in high school and continued to swim through college (Northeastern), but I didn't have much interest in it."
Finally, Wolf joined a club swim team and spent the first year training with kids younger than her − "I had no idea of what I was doing," she said − and then all of a sudden, she improved enough to be in a group with kids older than she was.
"I started excelling in practice and at meets and then I began to realize I was better in swimming than in soccer or any other sport and I knew that my mom was right," she said.
By the time she started at Northern Highlands 18 months ago, Wolf knew she'd be comfortable on the high school swim team as well.
"I practically grew up with coach (Tom) Viscardi," she said. "Madeline's 11 years older than me and when she was in high school, I'd go to her meets all the time. People would tell me I would grow up and break all of her records."
And according to Viscardi, she's likely to do so.
"She doesn't act like a sophomore," he said. "The kids all look up to her because she's good, talented and modest. She's already part of the fastest 200 and 400 freestyle relays in Bergen County history and she's within tenths of her sister's records in both 100 and 200 individual freestyle."
An early-season elbow injury restricted her to just kicking for a few weeks and may have delayed reaching those goals, but Wolf really enjoys the high school swim experience.
"Club swimming is such an individual thing," she said. "It's just about swimming and getting your best times. But in high school, the relays add the pressure of wanting to do well and help your teammates. I love the relay aspect of the high school sport."
Wolf still found time to run cross-country as a freshman and still is thinking about running spring track if her busy club swimming season will allow it. And there's another sport that captures her attention in the fall: professional football.
"I love the energy around sports and one of the best things I do, even now, is watch the Jets with my dad every week during the season," Wolf said. "I have pictures of all of us in Jets jerseys when I was very young and I still root for them."
She's a Zach Wilson fan even though her father doesn't like him, but she'd be happy to see Aaron Rodgers lead the Jets to the postseason − anything for Gang Green.
Her swimming goals including qualifying for Junior Nationals this summer and swimming in college. And she wants to add the individual medley to her repertoire.
She may be a late bloomer but she's making up for lost time with every stroke.
Jessie Wolf
Sport: Swimming
School: Northern Highlands
Class: Sophomore. Age: 16
Accomplishment: She won the 200 and 500 freestyle individual races and anchored the 200 and 400 relays to victories as the Highlanders defeated previously-undefeated Tenafly in the state sectional quarterfinals.
Also nominated: Layla Giordano of Old Tappan for basketball.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Record Female Athlete of the Week: Jessie Wolf, Northern Highlands
