Jeff Brown leads swimmers as a frosh

Jeff Brown just might be one of the best swimmers in Penn history, but he'll be the last one to say it. With a world ranking of 72 in the 800-meter freestyle, the freshman is expected to break the Quaker record books several times over before he graduates with the modesty and character of a true champion. A fierce competitor, Brown is a force for the University in and out of the pool. While maintaining a 3.6 grade point average in honors classes, the Ben Franklin and Joseph Wharton Scholar leads Penn in individual wins, consistently coming in first in his specialty 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle events in dual meets, while also pulling out victories in his off events, like the 200 butterfly. He led the assault on Columbia, Dartmouth and Brown by sweeping victories in all of these events. Brown was recruited to Penn's swimming program from Clements High School in Sugarland, Texas. He made his first big splash as the Texas state champion his senior year in the 500 freestyle and runner-up in the 200 freestyle. Brown qualified for the Junior Nationals, the highest level of competition for high school students. He also made the cut for the Senior Nationals, the standard open meet for Olympic qualification in the United States in years proceeding the Summer Games, in the 200, 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle events. "I made a commitment to work hard," Brown said. "My senior year was a chance to do something substantial." Why did Brown choose Penn over schools with stronger swimming programs, considering his qualifications? "At other schools, the coaches expect you to put swimming first," Brown said. "I was looking for a good academic school without all the pressure to perform. If I swam for a different school, I'm not sure I would like it anymore." "I swim mostly because it's fun -- if it's not, I'm not going to do it anymore," he continued. "Anything I accomplish is just a perk. Being on a team is fun. I'm glad I do well, but I don't think that any athletic event should be the one focus of a person's life. When I'm 70, I want to be able to look back and say I really enjoyed it." Brown found his way to swimming success at an early age when he was tops in the six- and seven-year-old class. In the beginning of high school, however, he found it would take hard work to push him beyond natural talent. "I was good when I was little, but I was a late bloomer," Brown said. "From 12 to my freshman and sophomore year in high school, I found myself struggling to keep up with guys who had matured physically a lot faster. I was losing to guys I used to beat when I was younger." Things began to turn around in his junior year at the state championships where he placed eighth in the 500 freestyle and 10th in the 200 freestyle before his spectacular senior year. "I got better through a lot of hard work," Brown said. "You have to convince yourself that working hard will make you a better swimmer, you can't just do it on talent." Part of a swimming family, Brown's fraternal twin Rob also swims for Penn. Sharing a room with Jeff for 18 years, Rob is also used to sharing his brother's spotlight. "No one ever had to tell him to do anything," Rob Brown said. "He believes in himself and he knows what he has to do. He puts in the work physically and he won't give into anyone in the water." Brown is committed to keeping his ego in check despite being Penn's star as a freshman. Brown is committed to being himself, whether that means winning in the pool, making the grade or hanging out with his brother and teammates. "He wants to be respected more for who he is," Rob Brown said, "not just because he's a good swimmer. He doesn't hide anything. He does what he believes." Being a leader also means added pressure and expectations. But according to his teammates, he handles it well. "People expect a lot from him because he is capable of great things," freshman swimmer Eric Zamborsky said. "But he's just a really good, laid-back guy, who happens to be really good at swimming." This weekend at the Eastern championships, Brown seeks to qualify for a spot in the NCAA meet. To do so, he will need to shave nearly five seconds off his best time this year. Between his junior and senior year of high school, Brown took off 11 seconds and is hoping it will be possible to do it again. "It will be markedly easier in terms of wear and tear," Brown said. "I've been tapering and the events are spread out over a few days. If I have a good swim, I think I can make it. But as you get faster, it gets harder and harder." Brown will compete in the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyle events at Easterns which continue through tomorrow night at West Point, N.Y. With Brown at the helm, the Quakers will be aiming to defeat rivals Army and Cornell, which beat Penn in regular season dual meets.