Foothill’s Thornton Finally Breaks Through an Elusive Barrier

James Thornton recalls getting his first Junior National qualifying time when he was 14. He remembers thinking how easy it was. So it only seemed natural for him to believe a Senior National qualifying time, his next big step, would come just as easily.

He was wrong.

What followed was four years of frustration for Thornton, a senior at Foothill High.

“It was the biggest hurdle I was facing as far as swimming was concerned,” said Thornton, now one of the nation’s top high school middle-distance swimmers. “It wasn’t really a physical thing but more of a mental barrier.”

He swam thousands of miles in seemingly endless workouts at his club, Los Caballeros in Fountain Valley, but he couldn’t get any closer to the time standard.

Three weeks ago at the Southern Section finals, Thornton finally reached his goal in his last high school meet.

When Thornton climbed atop the blocks to swim the 200- and 500-yard freestyles in the Division I finals at Belmont Plaza Pool, he had a feeling.

“I knew the moment I stepped on the block that I was going to have a good meet,” he said. “It’s hard to explain, but I was feeling good and I was swimming fast.”

Longtime rival Mark Warkentin of Santa Barbara San Marcos was swimming next to him in both races, which, according to Thornton, provided extra incentive.

Though he didn’t win either race, he did accomplish lifetime best times in both events (1 minute 40.22 seconds in the 200 free and 4:28.06 in the 500 free) and, more importantly, a Senior National qualifying time in the 500, which Warkentin won in 4:25.54.

At last year’s section finals, Thornton defeated Warkentin in both races but was more pleased by his performance this year.

“You don’t know how bad I wanted to get that time,” Thornton said.

Thornton’s times met All-American standards, so he was invited to participate in the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Assn. High School Championships, beginning Saturday at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

About 70 swimmers from across the nation will take part in the seniors-only invitational.

“I’m honored to be in this meet, but I’m not really preparing for it,” Thornton said. “We’ve been working out hard these last couple of weeks, so I will give it my best, but I’m not expecting real fast times.”

Thornton will be swimming in a number of meets this summer, including the Mission Viejo Swim Meet of Champions this month and the Janet Evans Invitational in July. But he’s aiming his training at the Senior Nationals, which will take place in August in Clovis.

“I hope to get my senior [qualifying time] in the 200-[meter] free before Senior Nationals,” said Thornton, who’s just a click away from the time standard (1:54.29).

In the fall, Thornton will swim for Arizona, where he will join longtime friend Jessamyn Miller of Mater Dei.

“We train together at the same club and she’s a good friend,” Thornton said. “It’ll be cool to be there with her.”

Thornton said he chose Arizona over California, which had also recruited him, because of the school’s distance program.

“I think they have one of the best distance programs and coaches in the nation,” he said. “I like the hot weather and I love that part of the country. I remember the trips my family used to take there when I was a kid, so I have a lot of good memories for the area.”