Junior Matt Vest

By Kyle Dunaway

KD: In response to Spolarich’s comments last week about the potential of a rematch of last year’s super bowl, what do you think the chances are of Peyton and Co. getting back to the promised land?

MV: 100%. We will win again next year.

KD: What makes you so confident?

MV: We have Peyton Manning and Bob Sanders…enough said.

KD: You tend to wear your hats to the side all the time. How come?

MV: I actually just started doing that over Christmas break. My brother was doing it, so I started doing it, and now it is just a habit.

KD: Is there a particular hat that is your favorite?

MV: My Hurley hat…unless I’m playing golf. Then I wear my Top-Flite hat.

KD: You lived off campus this year. What are your thoughts on living off campus?

MV: It’s a lot quieter than the dorms. But it sucks sometimes because you are sort of separated from the rest of campus life.

KD: Based on your experiences both in the dorm and in off campus housing, which do you prefer?

MV: I prefer off campus housing, but I think the college is right to make everybody live on campus for two years—you tend to develop social connections through living in the dorms or in the fraternities.

KD: You are big into playing poker. How did you get started?

MV: I think after I graduated high school it was real big on ESPN and my friends and I started playing a couple nights a week. Ever since then, I have been hooked.

KD: Have you had much success?

MV: It varies…it has its ups and downs.

KD: Barron Hewetson is one of your closest friends on campus. What do you miss the most with him studying abroad this semester?

MV: I don’t know, just hanging out. We went to Purdue a couple times last semester and he makes swimming a lot more enjoyable for me.

KD: As seniors next year, what do you think will be the biggest difference between this year and next?

MV: The team is going to get bigger with our recruiting class (and only losing two seniors), and the chemistry will be different in having captains to lead us through.

KD: Personally, what do you think will be different for you?

MV: A lot. I have already started training for next year and I plan on training all summer and doing morning practice next year as well.

KD: Why the difference?

MV: I think as a senior, it changes your outlook when you only have one year of athletic eligibility left.

Posted by Peter Casares at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

1st "Annual Out of Shape Meet"!

Meet Recap: By Aaron Spolarich

First off, the events consisted of a 100 Medley Relay, 100 Back Relay, 100 Breast Relay, 100 Butterfly Relay, 100 Free Relay and Diving!

With hotly contested disqualifications and ridiculously painful diving, the swim team completed the first ever “Spring-Out-of-Shape Meet” on Friday. Taking the figurative trophy for Least out of Shape was team “TABS” consisting of Kyle Weaver, Rob Fozkos, Rob Dent, and Blaine Cooper-Surma. They outpaced Team Much 2 Love by two points with a final score of 25.

“Much 2 Love,” consisting of John Kasey, Aaron Spolarich, Brent Graham, and Steve Zajac, could not match the speed of the TABS, scoring 23 points, but had the distinction of being the only team not to disqualify a relay.

“Team Liquefy,” made up of Jon Harris, Nick Molby, Craig Vetor, and Philip Towne, came in third, and goes home with the “Peer Pressure Award” for Phil Towne’s unique ability to make two of the three other teams to jump early off the blocks.

“Lane 5: The Invisibles” takes home fourth place and the coveted title of Most out of Shape. The Invisibles were definitely seen coming out of the locker room with uniforms and by making a ruckus throughout the entire meet. Kyle O’Keefe, Matt Vest, Jim Leuck, and Alex Carr lived up to the meet’s name, and definitely enjoyed the meet the most. Kudos to Matt Vest for attempting the dreaded belly-flop of doom off of the 3-meter diving board, even if it was not the most successful attempt

Special thanks to Trayton White for being our starter and official; not an easy job when four guys are in your face about how swimming an entire 25 backstroke underwater is legal.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable time, and look forward to next years meet!

Posted by Peter Casares at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Junior Aaron Spolarich

By Kyle Dunway

KD: So, you are from “the region,” eh? How did that area get its nickname?

AS: I have no idea actually. All I know is that it is the best part of Indiana!

KD: How do you feel about being Chicago’s seconds?

AS: We just like the rural atmosphere more than the city life, but being able to visit the city on weekends is nice. PLUS, the Bears are much better than the Colts. -------------->

KD: What do you think the possibilities are in having a rematch of Super Bowl XLI?

AS: I think the Bears stand a good chance of making it back if Grossman can hold it together. The Colts seemed to have lost a lot of players to free agency this off-season.

KD: You carry a lot of nicknames--Spo, Spolaria, Disease, Team Manager--have you kept track of all of them?

AS: No, its sort of strange because I never had any nicknames in high school. Everyone always called me by my last name.

KD: Any one in particular that you enjoy the most?

AS: I have always been partial to Spo, but seeing Spolaria every time I check my e-mails is a constant reminder. Its like it follows me everywhere.

KD: You had the opportunity to do some research on the late Kurt Vonnegut this past summer. What was your mission in your research?

AS: I spent my summer researching the impact of the Vonnegut family on Indiana and created a 45 minute long presentation about the family’s history and its impact on Mr. Vonnegut’s writings.

KD: What was most interesting about your research?

AS: Discovering the impact that the family had not just through his writings but how the entire family shaped Indianapolis in the early stages

KD: How exactly did they “shape” Indianapolis?

AS: Kurt’s great grandfather was the founder of Vonnegut hardware, a mainstay of the downtown area for over a century, and both his father and grandfather were architects that designed multiple buildings still standing today.

KD: As a senior-to-be and co-captain, what is your outlook for the upcoming swimming and diving season?

AS: I believe we are going to have one of the best seasons in Wabash Swimming and Diving history with a strong core of returning swimmers and potentially one of the fastest incoming classes in the nation.

KD: As you missed the entire 2006-2007 swimming season due to shoulder surgery, what is it that you most look forward to in your return?

AS: I just look forward to being able to spend time with the team and training with them.

KD: Are you going to miss being referred to as Manager Spolarich?

AS: No. I hated that title and I still maintain that I was on Disabled List rather than a manager. ------>

Posted by Peter Casares at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lead Effectively and Live Humanely

by John Kasey

This is always a fun time of the year for the team. The swim season is over and some of us have been out of the pool just long enough to have forgotten the muscle aches of last season and start to look forward to getting wet again.

For over the past 20 years the Wabash Swim Team has been giving swim lessons every fall before the season and every spring after it is over. It is an event we look forward to each year as a chance to pass on some of our love for the sport of swimming. I am sure I speak for the team when I say it is one of the most rewarding experiences to move from the role of student to teacher and actually impart some knowledge of this wonderful activity to someone younger or less experienced.

Click here for a photo album of the guys and the kids from Thursday's lessons.

We enjoy getting together as a team and donating our time and our knowledge of swimming to help kids have fun in and around water. Teaching swim lessons gives us a chance to come back together as a team and learn from each other. Before, between, and after sessions of swim lessons, guys are sharing and benefiting from helpful hints given to each other about every aspect of swimming from how to teach breaststroke kick to simply helping a student put his face in the water. Swim lessons provide us with a great reality check, reminding us it takes time for kids to love the water like we do now.

The real benefit to teaching swim lessons comes in meeting the kids and their parents. It is fun to take time out of a college schedule and play like a kid again, and the parents have become legendary for remembering the fastest way to a Wabash man’s heart is through his stomach. We are almost always pleasantly surprised with gracious gifts of cookies and other baked goods which remind us just a little of how Mom used to make them. For these unwarranted confections we are eternally grateful. However, rest assured, we do not work only in the hopes of good treats but because we truly enjoy teaching kids about what we love.

Posted by Peter Casares at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Junior Kyle O'Keefe

By Kyle Dunaway

KD: So, you recently applied to be on MTV’s Real World…what do you think your chances are of getting on?

KO: Ummm….(jokingly) really good because of my personality. People should see me.

KD: What is it about the Real World that makes you want to be a part of it?

KO: It would just be really cool to be on television and to get away for a little bit. Just to be able to put off the ‘real world’ a little longer wouldn’t be so bad either.

KD: You have been quoting the movie Borat a lot lately. What’s your fascination with the film?

KO: It’s hilarious!

KD: What’s your favorite part?

KO: Probably where he tries to kidnap Pamela Anderson or when he is in the RV with the fraternity guys.

KD: What made those parts stand out to you?

KO: Because the people did not even know it was for a movie, so they thought these things were really happening…when in reality it was all a joke. He had to have been arrested so many times.

KD: You have involved yourself in a lot of activities on campus. What has been your motivation in doing so?

KO: I just like to get my name out there, to meet new people, new friends. I like to take charge of things.

KD: How do you feel such involvement will help you in the future?

KO: Hopefully it will help me get a job after I graduate, but more importantly I thought it would teach me the skills necessary to find the right job after graduation.

KD: What is your outlook for senior year, swimming wise?

KO: I am excited for my senior year since it is my last chance to swim at my best. Hopefully I’ll train hard enough over the summer so I can start off the season on a high note.

KD: What do you think will contribute to continued success for Wabash Swimming and diving next year?

KO: Staying dedicated to the program and bringing in another strong freshman class.

KD: How will you contribute to the success yourself?

KO: I hope to be a positive role model for the incoming freshmen and to score a ton of points in the breaststroke events.

KD: If you were to predict results for next season, what would your predictions be for both the team and for yourself?

KO: I think as a team we can definitely go undefeated next year. I also think we’ll score at least 1,100 points at the conference meet. Individually, I just want to see lifetime bests in all of my events and I’ll be happy.

Posted by Peter Casares at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Casares Keeps Amateur Status

(The article is hilarious - don't miss it! ...and yes, check out the date it was written)

PS - It's awesome that Wabash College has enough of a national presence to be a leading story on the number 1 college swimming site on the web! Way to go guys!

Posted by Peter Casares at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)