VERMILLION – Jared Thorson has broken out of his shell during his senior season for the South Dakota men's swimming and diving team.
 
Thorson, voted a team captain prior to the start of the season, has gone from a quiet, shy individual to one who has learned to adapt to a leadership role for a Coyotes men's squad that numbers 31 individuals.
 
"Jared has kind of come into his own quite a bit this year," coach Jason Mahowald said. "The captain role was good for him to get out of his comfort zone a little bit.
 
"Performance wise, he has been a lot more relaxed, leading by example, showing the guys how to chill out a little bit. When you talk to Jared for more than two minutes you realize he is a pretty calm kid."
 
Thorson ranks in the Coyote Top 10 in three events and holds a school record as part of the 200 medley relay. He was a member of the 200 medley relay unit that earned all-league honors last winter with a third-place finish.
 
"Over his four years, he has done a great job of really maturing, growing, and developing into that leadership role," said Mahowald. "He puts a lot of pressure on himself to perform. He has taken some of that pressure off by just enjoying the experience and being with the guys."
 
Thorson will compete in three individual events as the Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships presented by the U.S. Air Force Special Operations begins Wednesday at the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
 
Energy will be key for Thorson and teammates as the men's squad looks to duplicate its runner-up finish from a year ago, the best in school history in the Summit League.
 
"We've got to get up and get loud for each other," said Thorson. "We've got to have our energy bounce off each other kind of like what we've been doing this year. It helps when you see that first swim, it has a big impact on the whole meet.
 
"If we kick butt on the first day, the first relays, you see that and you get excited for the whole rest of the meet."


 
Thorson, a former Cedar Rapids Washington prep, and one of just three Iowans on the men's roster, has also shown growth out of the pool in his four years at South Dakota.
 
"I remember coming here I wasn't focused in school as much," said Thorson. "I was still passing my classes, but as I grew up I learned how to study. I changed my major to finance, just figuring myself out as a person.
 
"Biggest thing for me was learning how to come out of my shell and talk to people, because I'm a really shy person. Being voted a team captain gave me a lot of confidence. It just helps me as a person having more confidence in everything that I do."
 
When the dust settles on the final day of the four-day meet on Saturday, the Coyotes hope they have pushed themselves to fast times in the swim and high scores on the diving board.
 
"We've tried all year to not compare to last year, they're just not the same team," said Mahowald. "We've told the guys we're going to go into the meet and do our absolute best and try and swim fast because for them, that's what it is really all about.
 
"Getting second would be awesome, pushing Denver would be awesome, going fast is what they really get jacked up about. We're going to go in and try and put up as many best times as we can. If we do that, the rest will take care of itself."