Newsday's Athlete of the Week is St. Anthony's swimmer Aaron Mendoza

Someone had to be the first in the pool last Saturday morning, and who better than St. Anthony’s Aaron Mendoza? It was time to set the tone for the weekend at the state boys swimming championships at Ithaca College and, as the opening leg of the 200-yard medley relay team, the enormity of the task wasn’t lost on the junior.

“Coming into the relay, I was getting a little nervous,” said Mendoza, who lives in Elwood. “I feel relays are very important and I knew my individual leg needed to be fast. I knew I had to set the pace. For a 50-backstroke, I knew I had to have a good turn. It needed to be perfect. It was perfect for the race and it set off that relay really well.”

St. Anthony’s, with the help of Mendoza’s 23.03 second leadoff leg, won the race in an All-American 1:32.29, defending their title and breaking their own Federation record. The victory turned out to be a harbinger of things to come — and Mendoza could see that coming.

“After (the relay) I thought, ‘This is going to be good,’” he said. “I was focused.”

It was good — very good. Mendoza also placed third in the 100 butterfly in an All-American consideration time of 49.50 and fourth in the 100 backstroke in an All-American consideration time of 49.52.

Mendoza is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week.

In the butterfly, Mendoza said he was looking forward to facing Kellenberg’s Ryan Nunez, who won in an All-American time of 48.53. He knew that, if he stuck with the Firebirds’ senior, that an impressive time would follow.

“I was really just watching him, trying to pace with him,” Mendoza said of Nunez. “That first 50, I was trying to stay with him and I went out in probably the fastest 50 I’ve ever gone out — 22.98. Then, at the end, I did my best coming back home…The race was definitely in the middle of the pool.”

There is, without a doubt, a fire inside Mendoza that will only extend to his senior year. Compared to his earlier high school years, he said that he’s gotten stronger physically, fine-tuned his technique, and increased his work ethic.

“I feel like I’m more driven and more confident in my races,” Mendoza said. “I’m definitely a changed man. I want to win more. I want to do more for my team. I want to act more as a leader.”

Might that lead to an individual championship? He sure hopes so.

“I would like to get my first championship next year in the 100-fly, and hopefully the 100-back,” Mendoza said.