Originally posted by MegSmath
Heather! I didn't know you went to Vanderbilt too! I think they still had a swim team when I was there (I am embarrassed to admit it was so long ago I can't be sure!) but I was nowhere near an SEC caliber swimmer, plus I had no time to train between a full class load and working 20 hours a week at the library. I did swim in the intramural meet one year though, and actually got 6th in the 50 back. No doubt this will come as a shock to anyone who has ever seen me swim backstroke! My B.A. was in English, with a minor in geology.
Wow Meg that's exciting. Never would have thought that I would have found another Vandy Commodore on these posts. I also swam at that intramural meet when I was in med school. The pool in Memorial Gym is actually GONE. They had to make room for facilities for the nationally ranked baseball team...They do have a beautiful student rec. center with a great pool where I sometimes swim. Actually last year they were thinking about bringing back women's swimming. I think that they would have done well with recruiting especially since some of the minor athletic programs like tennis, golf and lacrosse have had such success AND I'm told that Vandy is a HOT school right now. But instead they instituted a BOWLING team. How pathetic...
First year DePauw University. It was horrible. It is withouty question one of the most overrated universities around. full of right-wing drunks who couldn't come up with an original idea if they had to do so.
Then to Knox College. At Knox, there were only 265 people (I think) in my class. Knox isn't a very atheletically oriented school but just had Flunk Day on Monday. At 5:30 am, the bells go off. Classes are cancelled and every one starts to party. It is truly one of the great college festivals in the US.
Recently, the Y here in Galesburg started renovating its pool, so I'm back swimming in the pool at Knox. It is small and cozy (sorry for any mistakes in spelling and all. I was up most of the night onthe train).
Eastern Michigan University, BA in Linguistics, '90
Wright State University, TESOL Certificate, '92
I didn't get involved in any kind of athletics until after grad school.
Grand Valley State University (small division II school just west of Grand Rapids, MI) '85 - '89. Swam all four years. At the time the school was the fastest growing in the country. Went from about 5,500 to over 10,000 in the 4 years I was there. Swim program had just started in '84 so I got to set a few records during my tenure.
I swam HS at Lakewood HS in CA. Then 2 years at Long Beach City College for Monte Nitzkowski. Also was swimming AAU with Jim Montrella (Lakewood Aquatic Club) at that time. Jim's brother, John, was a HS team-mate. I then transferred to U. of Wisconsin-Madison and swam remaining two years here (yes- still here). Placed in Big Tens in 100 and 200 Fly in 1966, but never made it to NCAA's.
I started swimming again in 1982, joined USMS in 1983 and have been at it ever since. As far as I know, I'm the only one from my HS or college still swimming. I did get one former team-mate from UW to start swimming again, but he lasted about 8 years. He is coaching though. I have an old team-mate from LBCC who's going to swim his first meet this summer! Hurray!
I don't even want to think about my life without swimming. It changed my life.
Started at Colby College, but hated it, so I transfered to Sarah Lawrence College ('78). Penn State (math & Computer Science) for grad school. Didn't learn to swim until I was 39, but I ran/racewalked competitively in college.
Originally posted by hrietz
I went to Vanderbilt University ... They didn't have a swim team when I was there but since I was such an academic geek there would have been no way I would have had time to swim.
Heather! I didn't know you went to Vanderbilt too! I think they still had a swim team when I was there (I am embarrassed to admit it was so long ago I can't be sure!) but I was nowhere near an SEC caliber swimmer, plus I had no time to train between a full class load and working 20 hours a week at the library. I did swim in the intramural meet one year though, and actually got 6th in the 50 back. No doubt this will come as a shock to anyone who has ever seen me swim backstroke! My B.A. was in English, with a minor in geology.
You have five years to complete four years of eligibility. SO when you red shirt you "take the year off of competition". There are medical red shirts and academic red shirts. I also think you can just red shirt. When you red shirt a year it means you can't compete at all. Usually you are still training with and sometimes traveling with the team. Does that make sense?
