Asahel "AJ" Jenkins ‘13 Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement

My name is Asahel Jenkins; friends and family call me AJ. I am a junior at Cascade High

School in Everett, WA. I am 5’9” tall and weigh approximately 155 pounds. Coaches tell me

I am a gifted athlete. Whatever I try I usually can do better than average. I love to swim and I

have been told that I am a natural at it. When I lived in Kentucky I was allowed to participate in

varsity high school sports and marching band as an 8th grader. So for the past four years I have

been in high school marching band during fall and high school swimming in the winter.



Marching band is very competitive and doesn’t leave much time for swimming but I get in the

pool whenever I can. As soon as marching band season is over, I go back full time to swimming.

Last year I worked hard to attend both high school and club practices after marching band was

finished. This helped me catch up with my teammates in the USA swimming club who started

practicing in September. I’m usually back in competitive form by December or January. I work

hard to stay in swimming shape, I bicycle or run when I can’t swim. I tested my bicycling and

running endurance last fall when I competed in a sprint triathlon where I got first in my age

group and 8th overall.



I attended George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, KY my freshman year. I was on

their varsity swim team in 8th and 9th grade. In eighth grade, I was the only swimmer on the

team to make 2009 KHSAA District 5 finals in an individual event, the 200 yd freestyle, and

I was an alternate in the 500 yd freestyle. I also swam on the 200 yd freestyle relay and the

butterfly leg on the medley relay.



In 2011I moved to Cascade High School in Everett, WA. During my sophomore year, I was the

team high point swimmer and swam in Wesco District final on the 200 freestyle relay and the

butterfly on the medley relay. Individually I qualified for the 200 yd free style and the 500 yd

freestyle finals. At the WIAA State 4A meet, I made the 500 yd freestyle final and swam in the

finals on our 200 freestyle relay. My junior year, I was again the team high point swimmer. I

made my goals of winning the 100 butterfly and the 200 free at the Wesco District championship

meet but fell short of my goal to win a WIAA State 4A championship. In the 100 fly I took 3rd

place with a personal best time and I placed 5th in the 200 free.



I have been club swimming since I was 9 years old. I started on a summer team in Orofino,

Idaho and after two summers switched to a year round team in Moscow, Idaho. I made

significant improvement when we moved to Kentucky. The qualifying times for championship

meets were faster than my previous LSC in Idaho but I was up to the challenge and made

significant improvements every year. I qualified for every state championship meet in both the

long and short course since 2005.



Moving to Washington was difficult because I was away from swimming for half the 2010 long

course season and I had aged up to the 15-18 year old bracket. Nevertheless, I qualified for the

Pacific Northwest Long Course Swimming Championship in the 200 butterfly and even managed

to improve my time from the previous year. Probably my best meet in 2011 was the PNS Age

Group Regional Championship. I swam the maximum number events allowed and made a

best time in all the events. I took 2nd place in the 100 fly and placed 8th place or better in all

other events. Last summer I attended the Senior Zone Long Course Championships in Fresno,

CA. It was at this meet that I decided to focus on the 100 fly for high school. I also made some



Sectional and NCSA Junior National qualifying times and swam at both meets.

In addition to swimming and marching band, I have a number of other interests. I play the piano

and various types of drums. I am a member of Boy Scouts of America and achieved the rank of

Eagle Scout in 2010. In recognition of this accomplishment, the Commonwealth of Kentucky

awarded me the title of Kentucky Colonel. I’m still an active scout and serve my troop as

Junior Assistant Scout Master. Last spring I organized and lead the District Camporee and next

summer I will be serving as a troop leader at the National Jamboree.



I have one other love, pole vaulting. I’m relatively new at it but I have done well in the short

time I have participated. I started vaulting my sophomore year. Even after missing half the

track season, due to swimming, I learned how to jump and made district championships. It was

exciting to participate the first year, make the varsity team, and letter in track. During my junior

year, I jumped two feet higher, clearing 11 ft. I had hoped to qualify for the state championship

meet but missed by a couple of inches. Next year I will be competing for the state title.



I want to attend a college where I can get the best education for my money. Growing up I

moved every couple of years. I’ve lived in Wisconsin, New Mexico, Idaho, Kentucky, and

now Washington so I am not concerned about moving to a new place. I plan to attend a school

where I find the best opportunity to get a college education and where I can continue to succeed

with swimming, and possibly continue in track. I am looking at schools that have a competitive

swim team and will consider a team that is building. I would prefer NCAA I or II and NAIA but

willing to considering any opportunity. I am undecided about a major, there’s still so much to

explore and learn.