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December 31, 2006
Florida Training Camp
Day 3 - Hugh Vandivier ’91
 
Pictured Above: Left - John Kasey, Trayton White, and Hugh Vandivier. Right - Jim Leuck, Craig Vetor, Kyle Dunaway, Nick Rockefeller, and Kyle O'Keefe.
"The Perfect Storm"
What I remember best from my time as a swimmer on the Florida training trip - besides the grueling two-a-days, of course - is that great Wabash philosophy of “Work Hard, Play Hard.” We put a lot into our practices and motivated each other. We seemed to finally get - as a group of guys from different living units and hometowns and personalities - into a team, ready to attack the rest of the season. And we had a hell of a lot of fun. This team has impressed me from the second we gathered in that classroom for team callout in August. They exhibit the best qualities you should look for in a great team: they’re  competitive, they’re focused on the task at hand, they listen (most of the time), they’re confident in their talents and abilities, they respond extremely well to what Coach Casares throws at them, they adjust to adversity, they support and encourage each other, and they accept each other’s quirks. On top of that, they’re Wabash gentlemen. Suzanna, the owner of the Carriage House Resort, greeted us warmly upon our arrival. And the other residents of the hotel have been impressed and a little surprised to find a group of so well-behaved young men. Likewise, Khaled, the manager at the wonderful and new Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center, was excited to see us and has been very accommodating. And what makes my trip down here so terrific is how funny and great these guys are to coach both in and out of the pool. Nate Rutz seems determined to dig his way to China. Phil Towne gets revved up when getting a group of guys to play volleyball on the beach, while Steve Zajac plays a 6-on-6 like he’s in a 2-on-2 match. Yesterday, Craig Vetor nonchalantly pointed to his thigh where a Portuguese man-of-war stung him. Rob Dent, Nate Robbins, and Nick Rockefeller have been learning the finesse of playing shuffleboard, with Paul Wilson sending an opponent’s disc off of the 10 space and into the -10. Senior Tony Caldwell cheered wildly for his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes while studying up for his impending comps. I have felt all season that the planets are aligning and the conditions right for a perfect storm to break out in February. Stay tuned. I can’t wait to see what happens… (Pictured above left: Nate Rutz in his hole! Lower right: Rob Dent and Nick Rockefeller shuffleboarding)
December 30, 2006
Florida Training Camp
Day 2 - Jordan Extine '09
 
Only a few days have passed since we arrived here in Deerfield Beach but we have swum more than a few practices. After five long practices we are dragging tail and feeling the pain but at least, as a team, we pulled each other together and were able to impress Coach enough for an ever so welcome afternoon off. 7,000 meters, we were ready for this get out swim. We NEEDED this get out swim. And so it began! Petro came in at a 1:00 for th e 100 Fly in meters (crazy!), Routh and Cooper-Surma going 58’s in the 100 free, and Weaver and I at exactly a 1:00 for our 100 frees. Also coming in at amazing times were Laughlin, Leuck, Vest, Robbins, Dent and really anyone that stood up on that block ready to impress. Well, to say the least, after seeing Coach jumping up and down and running and screaming along the side of the pool we were all jumping and screaming - and the excitement was great. Practices aside though, we are finding within us a little extra energy to go out and have some fun in the sun. Playing volleyball yesterday and just riding in the waves was a great way to relax and just get our minds off the pain we were all feeling - and the pain we will soon feel again. So we are resting up for the days to come, and looking forward to the success we are bound to achieve. (Pictures: Above - Fozkos and Petro dive in for the 100 Fly and "Abs with Abby" in full swing! Inset: Dunaway, Casares, and Routh cheer on the team)
 
Matt Vest serves the ball to the always intense Craig Vetor!
December 29, 2006
Florida Training Camp
Day 1 - Peter Hewitt '10
We left Wednesday morning after a tough workout at Wabash. The bus ride was as entertaining as a 21 hour bus ride can be - which is, by the way, not very. We kept busy by watching movies like Talladega Nights, V For Vendetta, and Constantine. By the time 9 hours on the bus had gone by, it wasn't too difficult to fall asleep… I just had to get used to the snores from eleven different people - and the music from Bob Dent’s iPod. When we woke up we were just two hours from Deerfield Beach, the team’s firs t 4000 long course meters, and an afternoon filled with hotel check ins, and a trip to the grocery store. When looking at everyone’s food I started to wonder how some of these people would manage to consume everything they bought… for example I saw someone with 7 gallons of milk - I suppose we are swimmers and have to eat a lot. Later that afternoon we got in our second workout of the day… it like most of our practices was very difficult. Right now we are focusing on aerobic based workouts and are all still adjusting to swimming in a long course pool. I’ll tell you what though, the intense practices have not gotten in the way of us having a good time! (Pictures: Top Right - The team settles into a 20 hour bus ride. Lower Left: Craig Vetor settles into his two breakfast burritos, two egg mcmuffins, and two sausage biscuits! - yes, "the human garbage disposal")
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Petro showing off his new tattoo and the team arriving at the pool for their first workout.
December 12, 2006
Coach's Corner
First Semester Wrap Up:
In what has been one of the strongest semesters in recent history for the Wabash Swimming and Diving Team we now find ourselves heading into exam week, winter break, and my favorite time of the year, Florida Training! As usual we will be in Deerfield Beach, Florida training at the Deerfield Aquatic Center (The DAC is a brand new facility!), and staying at the Carriage House Inn and Resort. The location, facility, and overall environment is perfect for relaxing. Well, there is no avoiding how difficult training will be that week, but the gains made both physically and mentally are undeniable and exciting.
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I want to say a few quick thank you's as I wrap up the semester and reflect on what has happened. First off, our Alums have been awesome. From the countless good luck emails, to the visits from guys like Jim Rusnak '95 and Ron Zimmerman '93, to our inspirational talks from Coach Pebworth and Coach Vandivier, it has been a very motivational year for the guys on the team. I must also thank our parents for coming to all the meets. Wherever we go we always have a crowd of parents following - and a sense of family supporting us. I just couldn't ask for a better environment.
This has been a year that has truly connected the guys to the history and tradition of this program (btw, check out our new All Time Top 15 performances!). We have experienced †first hand how important this type of support is to a program, and also to a coach - especially as we get ready to compete against the best out there. Simply put, the Wabash Swimming and Diving family has made the risk-taking and "dreaming big" always seem like the right thing to do - even if the chance of failure is looming larger than ever
Finally, our swimmers and divers have been challenged a great deal this year by a Head Swim Coach that isn't into fun and games - mostly just training and large doses of pain. I applaud them for their perseverance and vision - and I hope they understand what is motivating me right now. A chance to shock the conference (and possibly arrive at the national level), is something I am not taking lightly. Hopefully the victories and team accomplishments along the way are motivating enough to get through the hard training - and the demand for a higher level of commitment and sacrifice.
 The light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever - and after a quick break, a quick training trip, and a quick taper, our athletes will be behind both the blocks and the boards in position to perform at their best - with a level of self-confidence that is unparalleled. I find it a great honor to lead these fine young men into battle this year - and have the utmost respect and faith in them (something I've noticed that is missing from most of my swimming colleagues).
These young men learn quickly from mistakes, do what is right, and understand their role in making this year unforgettable. That is special. That is Wabash.
- PHC
(Pictured Above (from top to bottom): The Team at The Carriage House Resort last year, the DAC, Rob Fenoglio spinning to a 10, and Kyle O'Keefe bringing home his race)
December 03, 2006
Wabash Diving Invite
 In what was clearly one of the strongest Division III Diving Invitationals in the entire country Wabash represented itself in outstanding fashion!
Attempting new dives with a higher degree of difficulty is never an easy challenge... doing it against many of the best divers in the country is just plain ridiculous! Well, maybe our divers are crazy, but I would rather call them gutsy and brave - or even better, courageous and successful. The rate of improvement this year has been off the charts and to see our divers continue this trend, when the competition was at it's highest, was simply fantastic. Tom Schiltz, Jacob Peerman, and Rob Fenoglio are by no means at their best right now in December, but seriously, they are getting close. And this was a huge a step in the right direction for them. A definite spring board into the next semester! (great pun, huh?).
Rob Fenoglio stole the show for the Little Giants with a 5 place finish on the 1 Meter (379.5) and a 4th place finish on the 3 Meter (388.6)! His 1 Meter score was 20 points higher than last year at this invite, and his 3 Meter score was an 80 point improvement! †Awesome! Also, Tom Schiltz soared to a top 10 finish on the 3 Meter and both Peerman and Schiltz were top 15 on 1 Meter.
Congrats guys!
- Coach
(Pictured above is Rob Fenoglio on the 3 Meter - preparing to flip and twist his body 15 feet above the water - then hit perfectly without any splash (or in my case, harm to his body) †yeah, divers are simply amazing!)
Saturday Recap
In what was by far the best session of the weekend, Wabash Swimming finished the weekend in style.
Coach Dunaway left the DePauw Invite pumped up with all the great performances. Alex Carr started things off with an 8 second drop in his 400 IM winning the consols! From there the team jumped on the momentum he created and raced with passion the rest of the night. Matt Routh and Jordan Extine went 1, 2 in the consols of the 50 breaking down barriers and dominating the heat. Pat Laughlin swam to a fourth place finish in the 100 back, followed by Steve Zajac dropping over a second and scoring 16th place in an event that is brand new to him! Next, Nick Molby and Routh jumped in for the 200 free and  dropped huge time both touching the wall in 3rd (1:53 and 1:48 respectively)! Then the "United Breaststrokers of America" (UBA) took over in the 200 breast! Kyle O'Keefe dropped over a second to take third in the finals - and then the UBA stole the show in the consols with a 2,3,4,5 showing! I'm sure a sea of Red W caps charging down the pool together was a sight to see! Finally the 1650 showed off the training the team has been doing and the "no fear" attitude our swimmers have! Paul Wilson, Kyle O'Keefe, and John Kasey all posted lifetime bests (in December!) going 4, 5,5. Yup!, after 17 minutes, 54 seconds, and 92 hundredths they were completely tied when they touched the wall. How awesome is that? Way to go, guys!
Over in Gambier Ohio - at the brand new Kenyon Athletic Center and Nike Invite- our boys continued to take advantage of the great facility and amazing competition! The best way to look at a team at a big invite of individual swims, is to look for the team component - the relays. So far, every relay we have swam has been faster than our conference meet last year... and the streak continued Saturday night! Caldwell (24.8) Dent (26.8) Weaver (22.2), and BCS (21.2) went a 1:35.5 in the 200 Medley - over 1 second faster than the 2006 NCAC Championships! And after a night of amazing swims, our 400 Free Relay (Towne, BCS, Weaver, and Blackwell) was exactly .01 faster than last year's meet! In between those great two relays were a ton of inspiring swims!
• Caldwell and Pete Hewitt go 1,2 in the consols of the 200 back! (both dropping under 2:00!)
• Elijah Sanders got a second chance at the 500 Free when someone scratched - and he took full advantage of the last minute opportunity dropping over 7 seconds off his seed time, and missing a school record by 1.4 seconds! (4:46!)
• Our Nike Invite UBA's (Graham and Dent) represented the group by both going 2:12's and racing like champs!
• Blackwell jumped in and tied for second in the consols of a very fast 100 free heat going the second fastest time of his life!
• Other notable swims were Craig Vetor's 500 free dropping under 5:00 for the first time in his career. Petro popping an LTB in the 200 Back (1:57.8) and 100 Free! And Rockefeller and Fozkos swimming their best swims of the weekend when the pressure was on the most - in the final relay!
It was an awesome weekend of swimming!
(Pictured Above is Jordan Extine†charging forward in the breaststroke, and Peter Hewitt getting the job done in the 200 back!)
December 01, 2006
Friday Night Recap
Things are going very well for Wabash Swimming right now!
NIKE INVITATIONAL UPDATE
• 13 swims made it back tonight... 10 of them were faster than this morning.
• Tonight's 200 Free Relay was .10 faster than what we did at NCAC's last year!
• Tonight's 400 Medley was 5 seconds faster than we we did at NCAC's last year! (Caldwell 53.3, Dent 58.4, Petro 51.9, and BCS 47.1)
• 1 B-Cut - Adam Petro 1:54.6 in the 200 Fly (7th Fastest All-Time)
• 100% in season best times!
Check out the Nike Results to see more details! I still believe our fastest swimming of the weekend is yet to come. Saturday is our strongest day by far.
At DePauw the guys are swimming great also! Paul Wilson, John Kasey and Alex Carr started out the weekend with huge time drops in their 500 Free. Kyle O'Keefe and Jordan Extine were both top 8 in the 100 breast. Barron Hewetson made it back in the IM with an in-season best. Matt Routh went two lifetime bests in the 100 Free and Pat Laughlin cruised to a 2nd place finish in the 200 back! Well done!
More fast times to come tomorrow!
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