Dalton Jobe, ’26, never had NCAAs on his radar, and yet he found himself the sole swimmer between both the men’s and women’s teams representing the Generals this March in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I was no longer the big fish in a small pond but rather a small fish in an even bigger pond,” Jobe said. “Just being surrounded with faster competition added a sense of pressure.”
Jobe set two new school records during his first season as a General. He broke the program record for the 200 IM and beat his own record, set at the ODAC championship meet, in the 400 IM.
“Although this meet was far more nerve-wracking, I felt a sense of ease knowing I didn’t have to live up to any expectations,” Jobe said. “Whatever the results were, they would not undermine the successful season I had already had.”
Jobe’s rookie season didn’t come without facing any adversity. While anchoring the 4×100 relay at the Franklin and Marshall Invitational this past November, Jobe’s hand collided with the wall.
“I smashed my hand and broke it. I was given a splint and told I couldn’t swim for four weeks. This undoubtfully held me back,” he said. “This injury pushed me to come back even harder and drove me to get even better. It gave me the extra energy and motivation I needed during the season. Looking back, I found good even when it was bad.”
Jobe made it clear that both his drive to always improve and his NCAA appearance has raised the bar for a determined young group of swimmers.
“I think that my appearance at NCAA’s ignited a flame. My NCAA meet gave my teammates both motivation and drive to continue to improve themselves,” Jobe said. “I’m looking forward to my sophomore season because I feel that we will be more united and raise the bar as a team. I set a higher standard for what I know we can become.”