Jessica Hodsdon (Class of 2009) is the most versatile and decorated female swimmer in Brewer Swimming & Diving history. Her contributions to swimming were not only felt at the local level but at the state level and beyond. She was the Penobscot Valley Conference (P.V.C.) Champion in the 100 yd. Breaststroke all four years of her high school career. She was also the 2007 P.V.C. Champion in the 50 yd. Freestyle and twice named the P.V.C. Swimmer of the Year. At the state level, she was equally as dominant winning the 100yd. Breaststroke in 2007, 2008 and 2009 at the Class A State Championships. She was also the Class A State Champion in the 50 yd. Freestyle in 2007 and the 100 yd. Butterfly in 2009. In addition, Hodsdon was a three time New England Champion in the 100 yd. Breaststroke even setting a New England Record her freshman year!

Records were a motivating force in Hodsdon’s progression and over the course of her high school career she set many. Her freshman year, she set four new school records: 50 yd. Freestyle, 200 yd. Individual Medley, 500 yd. Freestyle, and the 100 yd. Breaststroke solidifying her versatility. Her sophomore year, she broke Brewer High School’s 200 yd. Individual Medley record, the 50 yd. Freestyle record three times and the 100 yd. Breaststroke record four times! Her junior year, she broke her own 50 yd. Freestyle record and contributed to breaking two 20-year old relay records: the 200 yd. Medley Relay and the 200yd. Freestyle Relay. At the end of her senior year, Hodsdon held five of eight individual swimming records: the 200 yd. Individual Medley (2:17.49), 50 yd. Freestyle (:25.27), 100 yd. Butterfly (1:00.33),500 yd. Freestyle (5:27.49), and 100 yd. Breaststroke (1:07.09) and two of three relay records: 200 yd. Medley Relay (1:57.19) and 200 yd. Freestyle Relay (1:47.07)…more school records than any other female swimmer in Brewer history. Hodsdon set her first P.V.C. meet record her sophomore year and while cruising in to her fourth P.V.C. Championship title in 2009, she set a new P.V.C. record and broke the Husson University pool record, one of the oldest Husson pool records on the books from 1995.

Hodsdon was a four time P.V.C. and Maine State All-Star in numerous events. She earned the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Top 16 Award in four or more events from the sprint events to the distance events in all four strokes making her mark as one of the most versatile swimmers in the state.

While her high school swimming accomplishments are numerous, she was an exemplary student-athlete. In regards to awards reserved for seniors, she was named her senior year to the Maine Academic All-State Swim Team. She also earned the prestigious National All-American Academic Award given by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association to swimmers with GPA’s above 3.75. She was a member of the National Honor Society and also earned Honors Diploma her sophomore through her senior years.

After graduating Brewer High School, Hodsdon attended Bentley University, a NCAA Division II institution. Her collegiate swim career was equally as stellar as her high school career. Hodsdon’s freshman year, she was named the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Week three times and she set five new school records…three individual: 50 yd. Freestyle, 100 yd. Breaststroke and 200 yd. Individual Medley and contributed significantly to two relay records: 200 yd. Medley Relay and 400 yd. Medley Relay. Over her four-year collegiate career, she amassed setting Bentley school records 16 times: 9x individual recordsand 7x in relays and she accumulated an astounding 22 meet records. Over those four years, she set sixpool records including a Northeast-10 Conference Championship Meet record in the 100 yd. breaststroke (1:04.08) and a New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championship Meet record in the 100yd. Breaststroke (1:03.50). By Hodsdon’s senior year, she held nine school records (five individual: 50yd. Freestyle, 50 yd. and 100 yd. Breaststroke, 100 yd. and 200 yd. Individual Medley and four relay records: 200 yd. and 400 yd. Medley Relay and the 200 yd. and 400 yd. Freestyle Relays) and five pool records at Bentley University (50 yd. and 100 yd. Breaststroke, 100 yd. Butterfly and 200 yd Freestyle relay). In addition to the school records in the previous events, Hodsdon is ranked as one of Bentley’s Top 10 All-Time Fastest in the 100 yd. Freestyle, 50 yd. and 100 yd. Butterfly, 200 yd. Breaststroke and 400 yd. Individual Medley.

Hodsdon was the 2010 and 2011 New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Champion in the 50 yd. Breaststroke and the New England Champion in the 100 yd. Breaststroke in 2010, 2011, and 2012. In 2011, Hodsdon was instrumental in helping Bentley secure their first New England Championship Team Title in four years with a repeat team title in 2012. (Note: Bentley University dropped from participating in the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association after Hodsdon’s junior year.) Hodsdon was also Bentley’s first Women’s Swimming All-American with her 6th place finish in the 100 yd. Breaststroke (1:03.65) at Nationals in 2011.

Throughout Jessica Hodsdon’s swimming career, she had a natural Zen-like “oneness” with the water. To watch her swim the breaststroke was like watching art in motion. Through her drive and desire to excel, she intrinsically motivated and, above all, inspired her teammates. She raised the quality of swimming with all who trained with her. As a result of Hodsdon’s outstanding achievements and contributions to Brewer Varsity Swimming, it is only fitting that she is the first female swimmer inducted into the BrewerAthletic Hall of Fame.

Hodsdon graduated from Bentley University in 2013 with a degree in accounting. She currently resides in Medford, Massachusetts and works in investment services for Brown Brothers Harriman.

 

 

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