|
Volume CXXXII, Number 16 |
 |
Swim team salutes the seniors
ALLISON BENTON
STAFF WRITER
Intent upon securing NESCAC dominance, the Bowdoin Women's Swim Team will face the ten other New England schools in a three-day, end of the year competition held at Bowdoin's pool. Next weekend, the men's team will challenge the same foes at Williams.
 |
| Mike Long '04 will follow in the footsteps of the strong senior class of swimmers. (Hans Law, Bowdoin Orient) |
As the seniors prepare for their last meet of their four-year careers, a few reflect on some favorite or humorous moments with one of the best teams around. Without further ado, I present the senior swimmers.
Jenn Laraia swims the 50, 100, and 200-yard breaststroke events and hails from Connecticut. She fondly remembers many long training trips, especially the one to Hawaii, but her favorite moments are NESCACs (lucky for Jenn, she still has one more to go!).
Laraia fondly recalls NESCACs as the times "when the whole team comes together, wearing all sorts of ridiculous clothing-Polar Bear ears, capes, socks, and macaroni necklaces-and swims really fast. It's great when everyone gets pumped up and has some amazing swims. It makes all the practicing pay off." Laraia thinks that the funniest swim team tradition is not appropriate for the general public, but admitted that "there's always our triumph over the sketchy men in the woods!"
Meredith Hoar originates from Maryland and found her events on the team by coincidence. "Before my sophomore year at Bowdoin, the longest race I'd ever swum was the 100 freestyle," she said. However, due to the lack of people to swim the 500 and 1000-yard freestyle events, Hoar decided to fill the void.
"Now I love being part of team distance! It's been fun to learn a very different type of event," said Hoar. She also fondly remembers Hawaii, but perhaps for different reasons!
"I've always been a bit accident- prone, but that year was out of control. A bunch of us decided to jump off the 10-meter diving board one day before practice, including me. I ended up flipping onto my backside in midair, resulting in a couple of huge, unflattering bruises and a chipped tooth."
Hoar also managed to have foot problems and an ear infection that landed her in the hospital. She said, "Hawaii was a lot of fun, but it hurt too!"
Will Thomas, hailing from New York, has swum just about every event, but is currently swimming for team distance. Thomas eloquently revealed one of his finest moments with the swim team.
"My most embarrassing moment came last year when Elliot pushed me in the pool. In mid-air, I spun 180 degrees and saw that I was heading directly for the lane-line. In a moment of desperation, I tried to throw my body to one side, but unfortunately only managed to spread my legs wide apart. I don't particularly remember the landing, but the way that it has been recounted to me goes as follows: I hit the lane-line straight on and in an upright sitting position."
He continued, "Upon impact, I leaned forward and grabbed it with my hands to stabilize myself. I continued to sit there, groaning, until my vision came back. To top it off, I was still-except for my lower legs-completely dry. That is, until I rolled into the pool. It is now, over a year later, humorous to think about. And just as painful to recount." His favorite moment was watching teammate Nick Driskill '03 make the national cut last year in the 100-yard breaststroke.
As for myself, I'm a breaststroker from Wisconsin. One of my favorite parts of the swim team has been convincing my fellow teammates that my family owns a cheese factory, and that I have my own pet cow. Though I live in a city, I have gotten a few swimmers to eat frozen custard and cheese curds. This fits in with other funniest memories like wedgies at practice, Brad riding the pony, explaining the strange markings and shaved arms, and making princess hats and tye-dyed leg warmers.
I think, though, that my favorite part of the swim team will always be memories of dinners, talking, laughing, and staying until they close it down.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |