How They Train: The Workouts of Rising Tennessee Sophomore Nick Simons
Nick Simons enters the 2023-24 academic season as a rising sophomore at the University of Tennessee. Swimming for Lake Oswego Swim Club, he was Oregon’s No. 1-ranked recruit (26th nationally) in the Class of 2023. In a limited high school swimming career, he won the 100 back state championship twice, the 100 fly once and contributed to his school’s winning medley and 400 free relays.
Simons arrived in Knoxville with impressive credentials. A two-time USA Swimming National Junior Team member, he was a Wave II Olympic Trials qualifier (16th in the 100 meter back, 55.09). Later that year, he won the 100 and 200 yard back (46.39, 1:40.98) at the 2021 Speedo Winter Junior Championship West, then followed that up with a fourth (54.14) and third (1:57.70) at the 2022 Phillips 66 Nationals (LC).
Taking his dorsal stroke prowess to a college championship level, Simons scored in his specialties at both SECs and NCAAs. At the conference meet, he finished fifth in the 200 back (1:40.05) and eighth in the 100 (46.03). At NCAAs, he garnered two 15th-place finishes, posting 45.45 and 1:40.78.
His club coach, Emily Melina, notes, “He is a passionate kid and a swimming nerd. He knows results, time standards, records—you name it, he knows it. He hates to lose and holds himself to an incredibly high standard. Nick always had a sense of what he needed to do in the pool, even when he didn’t want to do it. He was remarkable about hitting pace. If he needed to be hitting a specific pace, he would strive to hit it exactly. And he was always able to make stroke and race adjustments incredibly easily—which certainly made my job easier!
“Nick trained with me from about age 13 until 18. During our time together, we built a great rapport and immense trust—for which I think all coaches and swimmers hope. As a teammate, Nick was always incredibly excited for our team and his teammates’ success. To this day, he still follows our athletes and congratulates them when they succeed. While his talent was evident from an early age, I always felt it was his heart that carried him. I don’t know if I’ve met an athlete who cared more,” says Melina.
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SAMPLE SETS – Nick Simons
Oct. 27, 2021 (Heading Into Juniors)
“Dedication makes dreams come true.” —Kobe Bryant
WARMUP
- 4 x 100 @ 1:25 swim
- 12 x 50 @ :60
Odds: R/L arm choice swim Evens: 25 kick/25 drill
SET 1
- 12 x 100 @ 1:45
Odds: flutter kick build Evens: breast kick DPK
SET 2
- 2 x 25 spin drill l @ :40
- 3 x 50 back pull, no buoy, build @ :50
- 1 x 100 DOB (last wall 8-10 kicks UW) @ 1:45
- 4 x 200 back @ 2:40 DEC to 70%
- 2 x 25 spin drill @ :40
- 3 x 50 back pull, no buoy, build @ :50
- 1 x 100 DOB (last wall 8-10 kicks UW) @ 1:45
- 3 x 200 back @ 2:50 DEC to 80%
- 2 x 25 spin drill @ :40
- 3 x 50 back pull, no buoy, build @ :50
- 1 x 100 DOB (last wall 8-10 kicks UW) @ 1:45
- 2 x 200 back @ 3:00 DEC to 90%
- 2 x 25 spin drill @ :40
- 3 x 50 back pull, no buoy, build @ :50
- 1 x 100 DOB (last wall 8-10 kicks UW) @ 1:45
- 100 easy @ 2:00
- 1 x 200 back race in heats…LET’S GO!
SET 3
- 12 x 100 @ 1:30 (75free-25 breast) pull DEC
- 300 warm-down
Nick got down to sub-1:50 on the last 100 back
* * *
Sept 12, 2021
“Your body is like day-old rice. If it ain’t warmed up properly, something real bad could happen.” —Ted Lasso
WARMUP
- 3 x 200 swim @ 2:45
- 3 x 150 pull @ 2:10
- 3 x 100 kick @ 1:45
SET 1
- 6 x 150 @ 2:15
[2 @ 3-5-7 breathing, 2 @ 50 free-50 fly-50 free, 2 @ 50 free-50 back-50 free]
- 6 x 50 @ :60 [o: kick/e: drill] choice
SET 2
- 10 x 100 free @ 1:20 (5pink/5red)
:60 rest
- 10 x 100 major stroke @1:40 (3 white/2 pink/5 red)
:60 rest
- 10 x 100 free @ 1:30 (5 red/5 blue)
- 200 warm-down
Nick held sub-54 for red and sub-52 for blue
Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer. His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” is in its third printing, and is available from store.Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and distributors worldwide.