Jan. 20, 2010
By Richard Stevens — Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
When Ashley Grisdale tells you that Albuquerque’s Downtown lights were one of the things that impressed her on her long-go recruiting visit to New Mexico, you can’t help but tease the Lobo senior a bit about her hometown of Gig Harbor, Wash.
What? No tall, well-lit buildings in the area?
“We have Seattle. I`ve been to Seattle,” said Grisdale, fighting back. “I just think it was meant to be. When I came on my recruiting trip, I fell in love with it all. I wanted to go somewhere more tropical than Washington state and I loved Tracy (Ljone) as a coach.”
OK, Grisdale opened the door again by calling Albuquerque “tropical,” but maybe if you grow up in a postcard setting like Gig Harbor, nestled in the rainy and cool fingers of Washington’s Puget Sound, there is something tropical about the high desert of New Mexico.
There is no question that Lobo coach Tracy Ljone landed a keeper when she pulled Grisdale out of the waters of Washington. The UNM senior has been both versatile and record-setting.
And Grisdale’s strategy in breaking the school’s 200-yard butterfly mark set by probably UNM’s greatest swimmer ever (Robyn Miller) is something Grisdale hopes will crack that record again.
“I used my arms and legs,” said Grisdale, laughing. “I plan on using that strategy again.”
If it sounds unusual that Grisdale doesn’t always use both ends of her body to propel herself through the water, well, it is. But Grisdale is so strong through the arms and shoulders, that she sometimes forgets to throw in the kick as much as she should.
“I can’t explain it,” she said. “It seems that I sometimes use my arms too much and if I concentrate on using my legs, I don’t use my arms enough. That race I was using them both together.
“I really wanted that record. It was one of my goals here. When I finished and looked up at the clock, I couldn’t believe it and I still can’t believe it. It was just a race where everything came together.”
Said Ljone: “Ashley has been working to break that record for four years. To break a record of Miller’s is a pretty big feat.
“The 200 fly is one of the tougher events in swimming. It is very demanding physically. Nobody loves being a 200 flyer and Ashley gets to do it at every event.”
Of course, there is one bad thing that came with Grisdale setting that 200 fly mark of 2:02.50. She now has been pigeonholed as a mid-distance swimmer.
“I don’t want to admit that I’m not a sprinter,” said Grisdale. “But I’m not a sprinter. In my heart, I think I can break that record again.”
Grisdale grew up in England, splashing around on club teams for fun, but became serious about the sport around the age of 10, when she moved to Gig Harbor. The curious thing about her move to America’s West coast, and one of the wetter areas in the nation, is that she doesn’t like to swim in open water. She likes that safe stuff in the pool.
“I think it’s not being able to see past your arm’s length (in open water). It freaks me out,” she said. “And I’m terrified of seaweed and things that might be in the water.
Senior Ashley Grisdale |
“We (Lobos) do an ocean swim and I’ve only done it one time. I was petrified. Some of the girls got stung by jellyfish. I just closed my eyes and swam as fast as I could. Later that night, when I was in bed, I had seasickness. It was like the bed was going up and down.”
Grisdale might not have been born to swim the English Channel — or be a sprinter — but she did seem destined to be a swimmer.
“Nobody in my family has ever been a swimmer,” she said. “I was watching someone swim one day and I just jumped in and copied them. My mom said, `Oh, you swim like a fish.'”
That was the start. Grisdale improved and competed for one of the West Coast`s top clubs out of Tacoma — about 25 minutes southeast of Gig Harbor.
She became interested in New Mexico and contacted coach Ljone. Coach Ljone checked out Grisdale’s times and said — kind of — “Come out to the Tropics. I’ll show you the bright lights.”
And it worked. “As soon as I got out of the airport and was driving around, it felt like home away from home,” said Grisdale.
The Lobos’ senior said she likes fast, exotic cars; likes to paint and write poetry; and is “really enjoying” being a Lobo captain.
“I’ve never been asked to be a leader on a team before,” she said. “You have to be a motivator and be there for everyone, even in tough times. Being on this team has been amazing.”
Yep, what’s not to like about New Mexico. Lots of bright lights. A tropical setting. And no ocean or seaweed for miles and miles.
Editor’s Note: Richard Stevens is a former Associate Sports Editor and sports columnist for The Albuquerque Tribune. You can reach him at rstevens50@comcast.net.