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)