Catching Up With Dalton Jobe '22

4/14/2024

There he stood, on the eight-man medal stand, a true-to-life, bona fide All-American swimmer.

Dalton Jobe, Collegiate Class of 2022, was elated. His smile, tempered by his humility, spoke volumes.

The Washington and Lee sophomore had earned his lofty status with his sixth-place finish in the 200 freestyle in 1:37.87 in the NCAA Division III Championship Meet in late March at the Greensboro Aquatic Club.

For some, this accomplishment might be the pinnacle of a career, the realization of a life-long dream. For Jobe, though, it was a well-earned way station on a long and spirited journey, which began when he was a five years old competing for NOVA and the Kanawha Recreation Association.

“Going into NCAAs, I didn’t have the expectation that I’d finish top-8 in an event,” he said. “I didn’t put that kind of pressure on myself.”

In the preliminaries, though, his lifetime best 1:37.23 was the third fastest qualifying time, meaning that he’d make the eight-swimmer finals, assuring him of All-American status if he finished without an infraction.

“Maybe last year or the beginning of this swim season, it would have been a good final goal,” he said. “Now, it’s just a steppingstone for me. Next year and the year after, a bigger goal is maybe to finish top-3 or even get a first-place finish.”

In the nationals, Jobe finished 22nd in the 200 individual medley and competed in the 800 free relay (13th place) and 400 free relay (12th). Top 16 places score while top-8 earn All-American status.

In the Old Dominion Athletic Conference meet in early February, he won the 400 IM (personal best and school record 3:56.50) and placed second in the 500 free (season best 4:32.24) and fourth in the 100 free. He also swam on the Generals’ victorious 800 free and 400 free relay teams as W&L captured the team title.

One day recently as he settled into his offseason, Jobe, an accounting major, spoke of his experiences and plans for the future.

Why Washington and Lee?

I was super indecisive junior and senior year of where I wanted to swim. At first, I wanted to swim at a Division I school, preferably a Power 5 conference school. As I moved into my senior year, I realized that if I were to swim at a Power 5 conference school, I would not be one of the fastest. I wanted to be a major contributor. That’s why I leaned more toward Division III schools. I knew a little bit about W&L, did some research, and really fell in love with the school because of the small atmosphere and class size and strong academics. Along with that, the swim team had a bunch of great kids. I really liked the balance of the school with the swim team, Greek life, and strong academics. The balance of the school was what drew me to Washington and Lee.

How were you prepared academically?

Collegiate prepared me well. There’s a lot of work outside the classroom, and I really have to stay on top of my work. I wasn’t easily distracted by other things. Managing my time really hasn’t been a problem. I learned those skills throughout middle and high school.

How were you prepared for the expectations of college swimming?

My high school training prepared me well. It was an adjustment coming to college having to deal with many things other than swimming. The practices were different than high school practices. We did less yardage, but the yardage we did was a lot more intense. I was definitely prepared physically and mentally for W&L swimming.

What’s a typical day during the season?

We actually have a really long season. Our season spans from once you get here in September all the way until the end of March. On a typical day, I’m swimming for two to three hours. Practices are at different times. Sometimes in the morning, usually at 6 o’clock. Sometimes in the evening after class. I have class for about three hours. Then I have either a weight-room session or a dry-land session for an hour. Then I usually do homework for two to three hours. Then have a couple of hours to hang out and chill.

Speak about your team experience.

The men’s team culture is exceptional. The seniors really led and definitely made our entire swim team faster and stronger and compete at a much higher level.

Every Saturday, we had a meeting, gave each other compliments and talked about the good things that happened during the week, but, really, it’s every day that we’re all positive and cheering each other and encouraging each other. It definitely makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger and helps me stay motivated.

How do you maintain your competitive edge through the grind of a long season?

I really split the season up into three parts. The first part is the fall, which spans from September to November. That part of the season is really grinding the yardage, getting into good shape, and grinding in the weight room and getting stronger. The second part from December and January is the time when we’re really focusing on our ODAC championship meet, which is the beginning of February. The last part of the season is February and March when we’re fine-tuning those specific events that we qualified for for NCAAs. Breaking the season into three parts makes it seem shorter and helps me stay focused.

What makes swimming fun?

I’m very goal oriented. What keeps me going is having goals I want to accomplish that seem super far-fetched and out of the picture for me. Chipping away at something really big and daunting is why I enjoy swimming so much. On top of that is the delayed gratification. That can be used in anything in life. Working today for goals that are one month or multiple months or even a year away is why I enjoy swimming.

~Weldon Bradshaw

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