Finding His Lane: The Meteoric Rise of Jonah Bergerson

In four short years, the Peninsula Seahawks swimmer went from rookie to record-setter.

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Under the shimmering blue waters of the Peninsula High School pool during the Seahawks swim meet with Gig Harbor Jan. 9, a long blur of motion kicks off the wall, gliding effortlessly through the final stretch of the 100-yard butterfly. The blur quickly takes form as fingertips pierce the surface, and the back of Jonah Bergerson’s head emerges. His head remains calm and steady, contrasted by his arms sweeping in wide, powerful arcs and his legs whipping rhythmically below.

At this point in the race, every movement is deliberate, his tempo quickening as his strokes build to a crescendo, carving toward the finish.

“I used to try to shut my brain off during competitions,” said Bergerson, a three-time captain on the Peninsula boys swim team. “But I realized you get better when you’re focusing on every single little detail.” 

Bergerson touched the wall in 52.03, easily winning the race and breaking a 15-year-old school record (52.36) held by Michael Lee since 2010. It’s his second school record in less than a year.

Bergerson’s record-breaking journey to this point isn’t marked by early dominance or even natural talent but by his relentless dedication to refining those details.

“Swimming is tedious and difficult,” said Athena Petterson, the Seahawks second-year swimming coach. “It’s not like you develop a skill and you just have that skill moving forward. You have to hone that skill every day, and Jonah has such a willingness to do things that others won’t do.”

Just four years ago, the senior had never swum a competitive lap in his life. Though his 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame is built for the water, his success stems from much more than physical stature.

Bergerson, a versatile swimmer specializing in backstroke and skilled in freestyle and butterfly, spends upwards of 20 hours a week in the pool, training year-round with the University Place Aquatics Club when he’s not soaking with the Seahawks. In such a short time, his dedication to the sport has already propelled him to break a school record and earn him a roster spot next fall on the University of the Pacific’s NCAA Division I swim team in Stockton, California.

Unlike many elite swimmers who dive into training before grade school, Bergerson just started dipping his toes into the water in 2020 after a years-long hiatus. Though he showed early promise as a kid during swim lessons, he left the pool behind in grade school to pursue interests on dry land. It wasn’t until eighth grade that he decided to give swimming another try. This time, it stuck.

“I’m not sure if I fell in love with swimming or re-fell in love with it, but something just sparked in me,” he said.

Now the senior walks with the casual confidence of someone who’s found his footing — or perhaps his stroke — in the water, and he’s making a name for himself in an area known for its elite swimmers.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed his competitive debut until high school, leaving him to train in isolation without the adrenaline of meets to push him forward. Awkward starts and slow laps marked his early days in the pool, but by his sophomore year, his dedication to detail began to pay off. His strokes became efficient, his starts sharper, and his times consistently dropped. Teammates noticed his grit, electing him captain — a rare honor for a 10th grader.

Bergerson credits Petterson, who took over the school’s swim program before his junior season in 2023, with instilling the confidence and discipline that contributed to his rapid ascent over the past 18 months. Her fresh approach to training, which prioritized short, fastpaced repetitions over long lap swimming, was the motivation he needed.

“She’s demanding, but she knows what I’m capable of,” Bergerson said. “It helps me become a better person. I leave the pool each day feeling so much better about myself.”

Under Petterson’s guidance, Bergerson’s progress skyrocketed.

Last February, at the 2024 Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Boys 3A State Championships, he placed fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.63, becoming the first Penin- sula swimmer in a decade to reach the podium. That time would have broken the school record (52.20 set by Aki McFarlane in 2010), if Bergerson hadn’t already shattered it the day before in the preliminaries, clocking in at 51.31.

“It was a dream come true,” said Bergerson, who also placed 12th in the 50-yard freestyle at the state meet last year. “To go from being nine seconds slower than the (100-yard backstroke) school record my sophomore year, to three seconds slower than the record at the start of my junior season, to breaking it later that season, I was on top of the world.”

Petterson said Bergerson’s getting out of swimming everything that he’s putting into it. “I saw a switch in his work ethic last year. It was very clear how much he wanted to be (in the pool),” she said. “He’s probably the most dedicated kid I’ve seen, and he deserves everything he earns.”

Bergerson’s list of accomplishments continued to grow this past December when he set personal records in multiple events at a club meet, including the 50-yard freestyle (21.4 seconds) and the 200-yard backstroke (1:56.78) and improving on his 100-yard backstroke time (51.17). Though club times don’t count toward school or state records, they’ve fueled his motivation as he and the Seahawks prepare for the 3A West Central District Swim Meet later this month and aim for another podium finish at state.

This fall, Bergerson will join the University of the Pacific’s swim team, a decision he made for its family-like atmosphere. “I’m nervous about college, but knowing I already have friends on the team makes it so nice,” said Bergerson, who plans to major in business management. That’ll make it easier for him to remain focused on refining every detail of his stroke, knowing that success in swimming comes down to inches and milliseconds.

“Every detail matters,” he said.

Update:  Jonah Bergerson broke his existing school record for the 100 butterfly at the league championships with a time of 51.17. 


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