Zach Mabin swims freestyle earlier this season. (Photo by Peter G. Borg.)
It took Zach Mabin a while to warm up to distance swimming.
The 2013 Steinert High School graduate and current Rider University student was a Spartan standout in the 100 breaststroke, the 200 individual medley and the 400 freestyle, holding the school records in all three events. He has three Mercer County Championship titles under his belt—two in the 100 breast and one in the 200 IM—and was named Most Valuable Swimmer at the meet his senior season.
Once he joined the Broncs under head coach Steve Fletcher last year, it was all about more laps. He’s currently in the top 10 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the 200 breast (2nd), 100 breast (4th), 500 free (5th) and 1000 free (6th). In the 1650 free, he sits at 11th.
“I think we had to help him to see his potential in the longer distrance freestyle events,” Fletcher said.
“I would say the most difficult thing to adapt to was originally accepting that I am a distance swimmer and transitioning into that kind of training,” Mabin said. “There was a lot more yardage than I was used to. It was distance in the morning and afternoon. I was not used to doubles coming in.”
But Fletcher wasn’t concerned; he knew Mabin had the ability to make the change. The upper-level Hamilton Aquatics Club groups, with which Mabin trained, practiced at Rider’s pool. Fletcher often hung around to watch, and he got a first-hand look at the then-high school senior’s capabilities.
“He was training with the best athletes on the team,” Fletcher said. “He was leading that group. He always went first in his lane with the better athletes on the team, and that attracted my eye.”
The skills and techniques Mabin learned through HAC were another plus for the Broncs’ coach.
“I think the organization does a great job of bringing athletes from a young age to the senior level,” he said. “They teach them technique and the importance of stroke mechanics and sound mechanics, so when they get to the point where they’re training hard and doing a lot of work, they’re doing it with good technique, and they’re injury-free.”
Mabin said training with the club, especially at the lower levels where he learned the fundamentals Fletcher mentioned, was invaluable to his development as a swimmer.
So it’s no surprise that Mabin entered the Rider program and immediately started swimming some of his best races. While he’s still doing the 200 breast, Mabin primarily swims races 500 meters and above. Last season, he won a silver medal in the 200 breast at the MAAC Championships, which the Broncs won overall.
In addition to the 200 breast, Mabin also swam in the 1000 and the mile. His schedule was different from most of his teammates’, in that he didn’t compete in any of the first-day events. All of his races fell on the second and third days, and he had to swim the 200 breast twice, plus the mile.
“I was mainly concerned with the fact that I didn’t have an individual event to compete in on the first day,” he said. “I think it was a very good learning experience for me to prepare for this year and the future.”
Fletcher said the way Mabin’s schedule fell was a definite test for the then-rookie.
“Not racing the first day, how would Zach respond to that?” he said. “And having heavy racing at the end of the meet. A lot of athletes don’t swim two events in the same day. As a freshman, that’s a challenge to manage that physically. I do think he’s better prepared to handle it this year. He did a great job last year, finishing among the best athletes in the conference. He was a huge contributor to our team win.”
Heading into this season’s mid-February MAAC Championships, Mabin was more positive than last year. He knew what to expect, rather than coming in blind.
“I’m a lot more confident this year,” he said. “I feel a lot more rested. I’m really excited.”
Mabin finished ninth out of 24 in the 1650 free, fourth in the 200 breast and fifth in the 1000 free. Once again, the Rider men won the team meet.
Looking ahead, Mabin said his short-term goal is to drop some time in all of his events. Long-term, he wants to take home a gold in at least one MAAC Championship event sometime down the line.
He has a few more years to do it, and Fletcher said it’s more than realistic.
“I think that’s very reasonable,” he said. “Not only to drop time in all his events, but he has the chance to get on the school record board in these events, particularly the mile, maybe the 200 breaststroke.”
He also sees Mabin in a leadership role.
“That’s been a natural progression for Zach,” Fletcher said. “There’s no one on the team that Zach doesn’t get along with. He has an ability to connect with everybody, which is an important aspect of a team leader because we bring in so many different personalities. Everyone can relate to him and feels comfortable communicating with people.”
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