It's Michigan State for JHS' Jarzen

Jacob Jarzen is going green. Michigan State green, that is.

On Thursday, the Jacksonville High School senior inked a letter of intent to accept an athletic swimming scholarship from MSU head coach Matt Gianiodis.

JHS swimming coach Jared Lamb said MSU could not send any reps to Thursday’s signing since the Spartans have just begun their season. “But I talked to (Gianiodis) and he’s really excited,” Lamb said.

Jarzen has been named the Central State Eight’s Swimmer of the Year three years running. In 2008, he won a state championship in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 50.85 seconds, and finished fourth in the 200-yard individual medley, in one minute, 53.76 seconds — three seconds off the pace set by Peoria Richwoods freshman phenom Matt Elliott (1:50.93).

Jarzen, who could not be reached Thursday evening, will swim in the Big Ten Conference for four years. He also has Olympic ambitions. On Saturday, Dec. 6, when the rest of the JHS boys’ swimming team makes its 2008-09 season debut at a meet in Macomb, Jarzen will be competing at a short-course USA National Championships event in Atlanta, Ga.

Jarzen is not a seasonal swimmer. He’s in the pool all year. Lamb said he’ll be an ideal leader for this year’s team.

“The whole team is excited (about Jarzen signing with Michigan State),” Lamb said. “Jacob’s made all the open swims that we’ve had at MacMurray pool. He swims 50 weeks out of the year. He’s a dedicated guy.”

More information about the MSU swimming program can be found at http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/c-swim/msu.

PHOTO: JHS swimmer Jacob Jarzen signs a letter of intent from Michigan State Thursday inside the Media Center at Jacksonville High School with his father John Jarzen, right, and head coach of the swim team Jared Lamb, left. More photos