JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Andres Dupont Cabrera still has the drive, he just doesn’t have to drive.
And that is a big, big plus for the junior at Bolles.
Cabrera, the All-News4Jax boys swimmer of the year, made a move from Cancun, Mexico to Bolles last summer and that decision paid off.
Cabrera ended his first high school season at Bolles with a pair of individual state championships and two others in relay events, setting the table for a stellar future in the pool. And he topped a 20-year-old record in the 200 free, a mark that had withstood challenges from future Olympians like Joseph Schooling and Ryan Murphy.
“That’s one of the main reasons I moved to Bolles, because from my house to the pool I had to travel one hour in the car,” he said. “In Bolles, I just walk for five minutes and I’m in the pool. I think that was the main reason for my improvement.”
Cabrera said that back home in Mexico, when he didn’t make the hour-long trek to the closest pool, he worked on his strokes in the open ocean. The coronavirus pandemic made things more challenging with pool time, so the path to Bolles opened up and Cabrera made the move. He began practicing with the club team, the Bolles Sharks, and then started with the high school team once the season actually began.
Instead of spending more time on the roads in Cancun driving to and from a pool, Cabrera focused more of that time on actually practicing. He said that time made a significant difference in his performances.
“We focused a lot more on techniques [with the extra time],” he said.
It showed in the 200 free, an event former Bolles swimmer Clay Kirkland set a team record of 1:35.81 in back in 2000. No Bulldogs swimmer had come close to that mark until Cabrera went 1:35.60 in at the state meet. He also won the 100 free in 44.09 and swam the lead legs on the 200 and 400 free relay teams.
Next up for Cabrera: a shot at the Olympics. He said that he plans to try and qualify for to 200 free at the 2021 Games in Tokyo swimming for Mexico.
First team
Athlete, school, class
Elisha Dees, White, Jr.
Region champ with a 580.35. District champ with a 530.35. Finished state runner-up with a 480.60.
Andres Dupont Cabrera, Bolles, Jr.
All-News4Jax swimmer of the year. Double state champ. Won the 200 free in 1:35.60 and the 100 free in 44.09, both in automatic All-American times. Swam lead leg of both the winning 200 free and 400 free relay teams in times that were automatic All-American numbers.
Martin Espernberger, Bolles, Jr.
State runner-up in the 100 fly in automatic All-American time of 47.82. Third leg of state champ 200 medley relay team, which had an automatic all-American time of 1:30.72. Fifth in the 200 IM (1:53.24).
Jack Hall, Atlantic Coast, Jr.
Had a 1:38.98 in the prelims of the 200 free for all-American consideration. Fourth at state in the event. Fifth in the 500 free (4:34.30). Swam second leg on 200 medley relay team that finished sixth.
William Heck, Bolles, So.
State champ in the 100 breast, earning his automatic all-American time (53.73) and setting the state record in the prelims. Fifth in 50 free (21.18), with his best time in prelims. Swam third leg of 200 free relay champ and second leg of 200 medley relay champ, both events earning automatic all-American honors.
Jonathan Kim, Nease, Sr.
State runner-up in the 200 IM with 1:51.29 and also runner-up in 100 breast 56.58, both times earning all-American consideration. Swam second leg on third-place 200 free relay team.
Braeden Knight, Baker County, Sr.
State champ in the 100 fly in 51.01. Fourth at state in the 50 free (21.54). Won region in the 100 fly and the 50 free. Was state runner-up in the 100 fly at state in 2019 and third the season before.
Macguire McDuff, Bartram Trail, Sr.
Third in 50 free in 20.14. State runner-up in 100 free (44.32). Both of those times earned automatic all-American honors. Anchor leg of state champ 200 medley relay team, which had automatic all-American time (1:33.25). Anchor leg of state runner-up 400 free relay team.
Ansen Meyer, Bolles, Sr.
State runner-up in the 100 breast with automatic All-American time of 55.39. Finished fourth in the 50 free, clocking all-American consideration time of 20.92 in the prelims. State champ last year in the 100 breast.
Dominic Miller, Creekside, Sr.
Fourth in 100 fly (49.56). Fifth in 50 free in 20.74. Both times earned all-American consideration Swam lead leg of state champ 200 free relay team, which earned automatic all-American honors in 1:24.10. Swam third leg of 200 medley relay team.
Larry Salls, Sandalwood, Jr.
State runner-up in 50 free in 19.94, a time that ranks second in the state this year. Fourth in 100 free (44.79). Both of those times were automatic all-American numbers.
Julian Smith, Episcopal, Sr.
State champ in the 50 free, with his best time (20.41) coming in the prelims. Fourth in the 100 breast (56.05) with automatic all-American time (55.07) in the prelims.
Second team
Swimmer, school, class
Mason Campbell, Bartram Trail, Jr.
Rian Covington, Atlantic Coast, Sr.
Jacob Douberly, Creekside, Sr.
Mehdi Elaoufir, Stanton, So.
David Gapinski, Creekside, Sr.
Dale Haney, Episcopal, Sr.
Harrison Herrera, Bolles, Jr.
Gage Hulbert, Mandarin, Jr.
Tomohiro Nozaki, Bolles, Jr.
Tucker Peterson, Bolles, Jr.
Nicholas Tayag, Bartram Trail, Jr.
David Walton, Bolles, Jr.