Hopkinton fourth grader Will Menning dives into the pool at a recent meet.

When Will Menning was a little kid, he took swimming lessons in the pool in his family backyard. He started to show some promise in the sport, which led his parents to bring him to the Goldfish Swim School.

Now a fourth grader at Hopkins School, Menning’s early potential already is coming to fruition. He is a member of the Crimson Aquatics Swim Team and one of the few 10-and-under swimmers from the eastern part of the United States who participated in the Eastern Zone Age Group Championships in Rochester, New York.

“It was exciting to swim with the best swimmers in the eastern U.S.,” said Menning, admitting to being a little bit nervous swimming on that big stage. He said he overcame it by listening to some music and thinking positive thoughts.

The strategy seems to have paid off. Menning finished 11th in the 500 freestyle and 13th in the 200 free. This season, he is ranked in the top 10 in New England in three events. His highest rank is fourth in the 500 free, which he said is his favorite event.

“Since the race is long,” he said, “there’s a lot of time to think about strategy.”

Menning said he fell in love with the competitiveness of swimming. He also likes the fact that there always is a way to improve.

In addition to the meet in Rochester, Menning also has traveled to Vermont and Rhode Island for swimming. But he likes to be a well-rounded kid as well. He said he likes to play the video game Minecraft, play with his friends, go biking and build things out of Legos when he is not in the pool. His favorite sport other than swimming is ultimate Frisbee. He also spends time playing water polo and soccer and enjoys social studies and history when he is in school.

Menning already has accomplished a great deal in swimming, but at a young age, he still has great aspirations for swimming.

“I’d like to qualify for the junior nationals when I’m 14,” he said.