White River Junction
Hansen, a 16-year-old Upper Valley Aquatic Club swimmer, recently won both the 1,500- and 800-meter freestyle events at the New England Senior Championships at Brown University, making the A-list cut in both for the the USA Swimming Speedo Junior Nationals Aug. 8-12 in Minneapolis.
Hansen set personal bests in both, his 1,500 time of 16:00.87 on July 14 nearly 15 seconds better than his previous low time and nearly 18 seconds faster than runner-up Samuel Rice. Three days later, his 800 time of 8:24.24 was another PR.
In both events, Hansen — who also placed fourth in the 400 freestyle to earn a time trials berth at Nationals — progressively improved, saving his fastest lap times for the last trip down the pool during each race.
It’s part of a new competitive approach for Hansen, who learned the hard way at last December’s Winter Junior East Championships in Atlanta that he’s better suited to conserve energy for late in races.
“I started off really fast in the (1,650-yard freestyle in Atlanta), made my push too soon and basically just died at the end,” Hansen, a rising Hanover High senior, recalled after a training session at Upper Valley Aquatic Center on Wednesday. “My next race, I really focused on my negative (back-half) splits and had much better results.”
The success carried over to high school season with the Marauders, with whom he set an NHIAA Division II record last winter while winning the 500-yard freestyle at the state championship meet (4:39.47) at the University of New Hampshire. He also set a team record while capturing the 200 freestyle (1:45.46) there.
The momentum has continued this long-course season, Hansen’s second involving double training sessions with UVAC. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — including during the school year — he trains from 5:30-7 a.m. and again from 4-6 p.m., augmenting normal afternoon sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“He has really upped his commitment since his sophomore year of high school, and it shows,” said UVAC coach Dorsi Raynolds. “Going to doubles isn’t easy, and it’s a decision kids have to make with their families. A lot of parents don’t like the idea because they think it might interfere with their schoolwork. It forces you to really budget your time and get to bed earlier.”
Hansen admitted the enhanced training schedule required some adjusting.
“It did affect me at first. I wasn’t getting as much sleep, and it could be hard to find time to do homework,” Hansen said. “It’s easier now; I just have to do homework earlier than I used to.”
The 5-foot-11, 164-pound Hansen has been swimming competitively since he was 8 years old, beginning with the now-defunct Carter Community Building Association Swordfish. A youth-level baseball and soccer player, he committed full-time to swimming as a freshman because of how much he enjoys being in the pool.
Today, he stays motivated by a desire to swim at a Division I college and by the instruction of Raynolds, whose no-nonsense tutelage is precisely the kind of guidance Hansen seeks.
“I’ve always done better when I’m pushed and told to do things (with some intensity),” said Hansen, who worked Thursday morning with assistant coach Jennifer Houde. “I think the training and the coaching style here at UVAC really keeps me going.”
Hansen is also pushed by his younger brother, Erik, a 14-year-old with whom he’s constantly both an encourager and a rival. Erik Hansen — who’s qualified for numerous events in the upcoming Eastern Zone Championships as well as next March’s Eastern Sectionals — has exceeded his older brother’s 14-year-old times in many events, but not by much.
“We’re really close. In the 800, my best time is 9:04 and his was 9:06; in the 400, I’m at 4:26 and his was 4:28; and in the 200 I’m 2:07 and he was 2:08,” Erik recalled. “I haven’t come close to him in the 1,500 yet, but beating his times is always something that I’m shooting for.”
Likeways for Kristian, who, now that he’s witnessed his brother’s potential, pushes himself even harder.
“The times I’m getting now, I want to be sure they’re so good that he won’t be able to pass them when he’s my age,” the older Hansen said.
The brothers’ rivalry is matched by the support they share for one another. Nicknamed “the algorithm boys” by coaches, the Hansens routinely collaborate to scheme plans of attack for improving times.
“They pretty much have their own brotherly language, and they know exactly where each other needs to be to accomplish the goals they talk about,” said Houde. “They really keep track of each other to a T.”
Both brothers have worked hard lately on executing flip turns, where the head and arms are driven over the body and the legs flip over the top before pushing off the wall. It allows swimmers to avoid slowing down while transitioning to a new lap.
“The best way to do it is to push off onto your back and twist while kicking to face up,” Kristian Hansen said. “I used to kind of spin and turn a lot more awkwardly before I realized that you barely want to touch the wall.”
Raynolds called Hansen’s qualifying for Junior Nationals UVAC’s highlight of the summer, helping the swimmer not only for this season but for his future prospects. She noted the caliber of collegiate staff who will be on hand to scout in Minneapolis.
“It’s going to set him up for next year and give him exposure to (coaches) from Big Ten schools and SEC schools, and that’s the kind of school he wants to go to,” said Raynolds, a former 16-time All-American at Ithaca (N.Y.). College.
“That’s really our mission, to get kids to swim in college and keep them fresh for college programs.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.