Surgery letting Generals' Ackerman with new-found freedom

  • brian questel
  • January 26, 2011
  • 310
                        
013111 Ackerman Promo: Surgery gives Ackerman a new foot up Surgery letting Generals' Ackerman with new-found freedom By Brian Questel Jacob Ackerman has had a solid career for the Wooster High swim team, but there was a piece missing as he looked to keep improving. Literally. Ackerman had an immediate impact on the WHS program as a freshman, but he barely matched those times a year ago because of physical issues with his feet that intensified as the season went on. In this modern age of medicine, that was just a surgery and a cadaver part away. Faster than one can say Mary Shelley, Ackerman was back in the water. “It wasn’t an injury. I was born with it,” said Ackerman. “I had tight Achilles’ and they never lengthened (as I grew). “It really started to get worse during eighth-grade during baseball and my freshman year during baseball,” said Ackerman. “I could feel the pain. It was the pounding on my ankles and it affected my running for conditioning for swimming.” As a result, he had surgery following his sophomore campaign to fix what ailed him. “I had double-foot surgery,” said Ackerman. “I had a piece of cadaver bone added to part of my heel to help bring up my arches, and both of my Achilles’ were lengthened. It was pretty awful. I was in a wheelchair for a long time and I had a month and a half rehab.” It’s clear the surgery has made a difference as Ackerman posted his second-best time of his career in the IM and he had his best time in the fly in a dual against GlenOak and Perry (Jan. 21). “Ackerman went crazy fast last Friday,” said WHS coach Jeff DeHaan. “He won the 100 fly and was on two relays. His IM time was his second fastest ever and his season-best, but in his fly he took almost a full second off. His 57.70 was 22nd all-time and now he’s tied for 16th with Robbie Sibilia with a 56.90. He had an eight-tenths drop – that’s an unbelievable time for this time of year.” DeHaan has had other swimmers have the same surgery, but no one had opted to have both feet operated on at the same time. “Jacob struggled with it the whole year,” said DeHaan. “When I’m screaming ‘Kick!’ I can tell he hears me because I can see more white water. Last year he was doing the whole 100 with his upper body. It’s crazy – you can lift something like two-thirds more with your legs than your arms because your legs are stronger. That alleviates the pressure (on the arms) and you use your legs to your advantage … especially for fliers. You can get your whole trunk out of the water and it’s a lot less stress on your shoulders. “Last year he struggled. Now, he can see the light at the end of the tunnel and look how fast he’s going. He’s letting himself go. He’s letting his legs do the work they need to do and he’s having great success. “Swimmers historically you think of being big on top and with big shoulders from all the pulling. To not use those huge muscles on the lower half is crazy, but he couldn’t without pain. … Before, he had to go to physical therapy to loosen up because he was so tight. It’s the same thing that Drew Koch had done and Chase (Hooley) had it done in junior high. It was debilitating.” Free from the pain, Ackerman is looking to make a strong push down the stretch. “I’m looking for good times and I’m excited for the 100 fly,” said Ackerman. “I hope to drop another second or even more than that. I’m swimming on the three relays and helping out on those and that definitely pushes me. I don’t want to hurt the team. I know I have to push myself.” DeHaan is hoping for a big finish from both Ackerman and the relays. “He’s focused on his fly and he’d rather do the three relays than the IM,” said DeHaan. “He enjoys the relay aspect with his buddies. He’s in this position because of his talent. He looks to do it in the water and not toot his own horn. He’s a laid-back type.” Laidback, perhaps. Renewed and rebuilt? Absolutely, and in DeHaan’s eyes the best is yet to come.


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