Big Ten Senior Spotlight: Joanna Wu of Rutgers University

Last year, Rutgers University competed in its first Big Ten Conference Championships in program history after completing their transitional period out of the Big East Conference. The Scarlet Knights took 11th overall, but more importantly, several individuals proved that they were ready to compete in one of the deepest conferences in the country.

Next up in our Senior Spotlight Series, we have Joanna Wu, one of the Scarlet Knights who immediately made a statement with her debut at the Big Ten Conference Championships, and she is also our first swimmer to have participated at the NCAA Championships before. A Kent, Washington native, Wu came to Rutgers after having represented King Aquatic Club for over 10 years and Kent-Meridian High School for 4 years, while also enjoying a great deal of success as a part of both teams. In High School, Wu became a regular participant at the Washington State Championships from her sophomore year onwards, and this included an impressive streak where she placed in the Top 8 in each of her individual events for three consecutive years. Additionally, on the club scene, Wu also competed in the 100 back (1:05.62) at the 2012 Summer Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska just a few months before kickstarting her NCAA career.

As a freshman for the Scarlet Knights, Wu made an immediate impact on the collegiate scene, and she wasted no time in beginning her assault on the Rutger’s record board. At her first Big East Championships, Wu would take 4th in the 100 back (54.07) and 6th in the 200 back (1:58.65), and she would also provide key legs on Rutgers’ 200 medley relay (4th, 1:41.32), 400 medley relay (3rd, 3:40.52), 400 free relay (7th, 3:24.86), and 800 free relay (7th, 7:21.29). Notably, the 400 medley relay effort established a new school record in the process.

Riding off the momentum she built as a freshman, Wu really found her groove as a sophomore during Championship season. At the 2014 AAC Championships, Joanna won both the 100 back (52.97) and 200 back (1:54.07), while also continuing to be an instrumental part of RU’s relays with legs on the 200 medley relay (3rd, 1:40.92), 400 medley relay (3rd, 3:39.84), 400 free relay (4th, 3:22.86), and 800 free relay (4th, 7:20.62). Both her backstroke races established new pool and school records in the process, with her 100 back cutting done the previous program record of 53.11 from 2009 while her 200 back crushed the old standard of 1:54.76 from 2006. Additionally, the 400 medley relay re-set the school record that had been established just one year earlier.

With her swims at the AAC Championships, Wu qualified for the 2014 NCAA Championships, and was able to compete in both the 100 back and 200 back. She would take 21st in the 100 back (52.74) and 39th in the 200 back (1:56.23), with her 100 back chipping a few tenths off her newly minted school record from just a month before.

As a junior, Wu would not qualify for the NCAA Championships, but she still made some serious waves with her swims both individually and on relays at her Big Ten Championships debut. In Columbus, Wu competed individually in the 100 back (6th, 53.14), 200 back (16th, 2:01.03, 1:57.50 in prelims), and in the 500 free (39th, 4:51.44). She would also provide legs on the Scarlet Knights’ 200 medley relay (11th, 1:40.05, new school record), 400 medley relay (6th, 3:37.64), 200 free relay (11th, 1:32.12), and 800 free relay (11th, 7:15.68).

There is no doubt that Rutgers University’s Joanna Wu will be ready for her second stab at the Big Ten Conference Championships next week, and she should have plenty to work with in terms of confidence. She performed admirably at her mid-season meet in November, the Frank Elm Invitational, and she came away from that meet with lifetime bests in the 50 free (23.29) and the 200 free (1:49.13). Additionally, she also competed at the 2015 AT&T Winter Nationals and qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials in the 100 back (1:03.12) during the time trials for the meet. With a legacy at Rutgers that will be very difficult to surpass in the future, Joanna Wu will be one Scarlet Knight that everyone should have their eyes on next week, and it should surprise no one if she walks away from her final conference championships with big points to her name.

Best Times (SCY/LCM):
50 Free: 23.29/26.65
100 Free: 50.76/57.03
200 Free: 1:49.13/2:02.82
500 Free/400 Free: 4:49.99/4:24.42
100 Back: 52.74*/1:03.12
200 Back: 1:54.07*/2:16.30
200 IM: 2:04.83/2:28.48
400 IM: 4:30.45/5:15.58
200 Free: 1:52.87/2:10.84
200 Medley Relay: 1:40.05*
400 Medley Relay: 3:37.64*

*Denotes school record

School Major/Degree: Majors: Psychology & Political Science, Minor: Criminology
Favorite Event:  100 Back
Favorite Hobby:  Going to the movies with my best friend, Chantal.
Favorite Movie:  All three Lord of the Rings movies
Person You’d Like to Meet Growing Up: Tom Hiddleston (as Loki)
Favorite Food/ Pre-Race Meal: Siggis Yogurt with Chia Seeds

At what age did you become involved with swimming? How did you get into it?

I joined my club team (KING Aquatics) when I was eight years old. I was in the Novice group, but my first ever swim meet was when I was 9. I did swim lessons before that and one of the instructors recommended to my mom that I should try out. I was still doing ballet and figure skating at the time so I was a part-time swimmer mainly until I got into high school.

What is your favorite collegiate swimming memory and why? 

Breaking the school records in the 100 back and 200 back because it was one of my greatest achievements as a Scarlet Knight. Our team that year had a goal to rewrite our record board and it’s an amazing feeling to contribute to it. I hope that my records will push future Scarlet Knight backstrokers to beat my times and break my records.

You have already competed at the NCAA Championships once before, with your 21st place finish in the 100 back and your 39th place finish in the 200 back highlighting your trip to that meet during your sophomore year. Can you describe what your first NCAA experience was like?

It was fun. A lot of swimmers get nervous when they go to a really fast meet like NCAAs but for me I’ve already been to Olympic Trials, Juniors and Senior Nationals. My first experience as the first NCAA qualifier under our previous coach was really enjoyable. Being able to see fast swimmers, and to even witness amazing races and accomplishments done by others was very fun to watch. Even though I did really well in the 100 back and not as well in the 200, it was still a great experience and it was great to be a part of one of the fastest short course meets the world has ever seen. Obviously, I would like to go again this year and I have high hopes that we can bring a relay under Coach Martin.

You have had the unique experience of having swum in three different conference meets with the Scarlet Knights, with the Big East Championships, American Athletic Conference Championships, and now the Big Ten Championships all under your belt. Do you feel like jumping between conferences has given you a unique perspective of collegiate swimming?

To be honest, I don’t really think being in three different conferences have gave me a unique perspective because in the end game I still had to go fast no matter what. Yes, the level of competitiveness is different in each conference and there are different schools and different swimmers that I’m racing against. But at the end of the day, I’m representing Rutgers at these conferences, therefore, I’m going to swim my heart out and my fastest regardless of who I’m racing, or where I am. The goal is still the same which is to swim fast and beat my times from last season. But every time I swim, I wear my ‘R’ with pride regardless of the circumstances.

What/who do you think has been the single most important catalyst to your swimming career?

One of my past teammates on KING, Andie Taylor, was a USA National Team member in high school, and she graduated at Stanford. And she was always fast. I remember especially when my coach would just tell me to swim in her lane and basically follow her around because I would do her sets and she would lap me all the time. But one thing that has stayed with me from those days, and that I’ve tried to bring to Rutgers, is that she would always encourage me to go faster than her. She would tell me to race her, even when I didn’t want to. She would get on the blocks next to me so I would have to race her. She pushed me simply by being fast. She was my teammate and she didn’t treat me any differently or anything, but she was just being Andie. And the funny thing is that she didn’t know that by being who she was, she made me a better swimmer.

It wasn’t until she went to Stanford that I wanted to be a similar swimmer as her. I wanted to be the teammate she was to me, to everyone else. Especially with these past four years, I want my underclassmen to be the best they can be and I know that once they have surpassed me, I’ve done my job as their teammate. As a senior Scarlet Knight, I leave my legacy to them.

Do you have any plans/commitments following the completion of your collegiate career?

I’ll be swimming at Olympic Trials this year after I graduate. I also plan to go to Grad School in the very near future, but I have different commitments that are still up in the air, so I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. My main focus is BIG Tens (NCAAs hopefully) and finishing my senior year with a bang as well as 2016 Olympic Trials.

What should we look forward to from Rutgers as a whole at this year’s Big Ten Championships?

Something very BIG (no pun intended). We have a new coach, new swimmers, almost a new team. We’re doing things different, and we’re trying out new things. We’re going to do something big at conference and everyone is going to see it. And if they refuse to see it, it will be big enough that they can’t even turn their eyes away. We’re fighting all the way so get ready for us.