#NationalTeamNewbie: Q&A with Will Licon

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Photo Courtesy: Peter Bick

By Peter Baugh, Swimming World College Intern

Will Licon, a junior at Texas, qualified for the U.S. National Team in both the 200-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter individual medley. As a sophomore, Licon won three events at the NCAA National Championships. This is Licon’s first year on the national team. 

He recently took the time to catch up with Swimming World…

SW: Could you walk me through the swims you had that qualified you for the national team?

So Nationals started off really, really rough for me. I had two events the first day and swam absolutely terrible in both of those events for myself. It was kind of a bummer for me because, going into the meet, I felt pretty prepared. I had some setbacks in the summer but (I) felt like I was on track to have a good meet regardless. To start it off so terrible off the bat was a little frustrating. I had two days off after that, thank goodness, to regroup, get my mindset back together. The next event I had after that was the 200 IM. I ended up talking to Eddie (Reese) and Kris (Kubik) and just wanted to go after it in the morning … and (I) ended up having a pretty good morning swim, went a best time by a good amount for me and then in the evening ended up pretty much repeating the same time … I was thrilled with it. It was really cool in the evening getting to swim next to Michael (Phelps) for the first time at a big stage event and just seeing the crowd go crazy for him and being next to a guy who is under world record pace for three-quarters of the race. That was a really cool experience for me. Following that up the next day (was) the 200 breast … I’m happy with the time, not satisfied, but for now it’ll do. Still, being able to put me on the national team for another event, I’ll take it any day.

SW: When you saw your times did you expect that they would get you on the U.S. National Team?

I actually didn’t really think about it right away. I think it was something that someone brought up to me later on. I actually didn’t really have that goal in mind. I just wanted to try and be competitive with the other guys who were swimming in Kazan right around the same time or a week before. I just wanted to try and see how close to them I could be. As it turns out, I ended up making the national team. I can’t complain. It’s a huge honor to me, it’s almost a dream come true just to say I’m on it for, in my opinion, the greatest country in the world.

SW: How did it feel when you found out that you were on the national team?

I was filled with joy. Again, I can put it up there with some of my most memorable moments. I definitely feel like I belong, I held myself to the standard to where I feel like I should be there, but for it to actually happen, that was very special for me. I’m very grateful for all those who helped make it possible. Just to be in the company of some of the biggest names in the sport is such an honor.

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

SW: What are some of your goals going into the Olympic year?

The main goal is getting ready for (NCAA Championships at) Georgia Tech in March and just helping the team get prepped for that. That’s the main goal right now. Yeah, it’s Olympic year and everything, a lot of focus goes into that, but we still have a job to do come March. I’m just…trying to get through collegiate season first and then shift the total focus to Omaha.

SW: With Olympic Trials shortly after, will your taper for NCAA Championships be impacted?

I’m not sure yet. I doubt it. It’s something I’ll probably end up discussing with Eddie (Reese), Kris (Kubik) and Wyatt (Collins) later on, but for now I just plan on approaching it like any meet. In my opinion, I look at that meet as one of the greatest meets in the world. Just like any sport, you have your national championship. You go into that 100 percent, firing on all cylinders. You want to perform your best at that meet. It’s kind of like football and basketball. (For them,) Pro day is a couple months after their national championships and they don’t hold back for it. They go full swing and then re-gear themselves for preparing for their next stage. For me, I plan to approach it in full swing.

SW: How much has swimming with such a strong Texas team helped you?

Tremendously. Just seeing the caliber of guys we have in each lane. Jeez Louise, the leaders in five lanes are pretty much NCAA champion hopefuls. You have guys going second and third in lanes who are All-Americans, also NCAA champion hopefuls. It’s just crazy. We’re a very deep team but we all have a common goal in mind. We all want to work and we’re not afraid of stepping up…It teaches you to be competitive and, Jeez Louise, if we’re able to get through tearing each other apart in practice, it kind of makes the meets a little easier, to be honest.

SW: Is making the Olympic Team the goal for next summer?

I would say 100 percent. It’s one of those things where as a kid you look at that as…the ultimate accomplishment, I would say, and every kid’s dream.

SW: Do you have anything to add?

Right now I’m just enjoying the ride where I’m at. (I am) surrounded by a great group of men who are some of my best friends and I’m just super glad I’m able to call them my teammates and my brothers. I just feel like it’s great how we all have one common mindset of wanting to succeed and I feel like that brings us a lot closer together.  

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Bill Bell
Bill Bell
8 years ago

ill made great, great strides @ NCAAs last March and presuming he fully tapers for next March’s meet could conceivably get David Nolan’s 200 IM AR/NCAA standard. He’s a couple of seconds off Chase Kalisz’s record in 400 IM but he dropped four seconds from his ’14 time (3:40.84) this year so slicing anotherbtwo seconds should be a “piece of cake!”

Heck, for that matter he shoukl go 1:38 in the shorter medley and 1:49+ 200 breast. Nuthin’ to it but to do it.

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