Huksy Invitational Recap

After three long days, the 2012 Husky Invitational drew to close on Sunday evening.  There were three NCAA "B" cuts, two broken school records, and one NCAA "A" cut. 
On Saturday morning, Karl Mering punched his ticket to Houston, Texas, and the NCAA DIII National Championships with a tremendous 100 butterfly time of 49.11. The swim was significantly under the NCAA "A" time standard of 49.34 and well under his 2011 school record time of 49.70.  Karl didn't quite match his morning swim in the evening's final heat, swimming a 49.60.  Karl also found success in the 200 butterfly on Sunday.  After a conservative morning swim of 1:52.13, Karl came back in finals with renewed determination, swimming a 1:50.39, missing the NCAA "A" time standard by .06. 
However, Karl wasn't the only one swimming fast last weekend.  This season, the Whitman breaststrokers have been unstoppable.  Led by seniors Paul Chang and Genay Pilarowski, Saturday's breastroke heats went off beautifully.  Freshmen Elise Tinseth and Jo Brunner both laid down season best times of 1:10.79 and 1:11.28, respectively.  Junior, Claire Collins followed them with a 1:07.13--her best time this season.  Finally, Genay Pilarowski swam a 1:06.67, .59 off the NCAA "B" cut and just .06 off her school record in the event.  For the men, Paul Chang led the charge with a spectacular season best effort of 58.67.  Freshmen, Nick Wechter and Robby Dorn were just fractions off of their season best swims.  They went 1:03.98 and 1:03.68 respectively.  Freshman, Kevin Wallin also put down a season best 1:04.79.
The 200 breaststroke was no different.  Freshmen Jo Brunner and Elise Tinseth both had season best times of 2:34.69 and 2:31.02.  Those both would have been outstanding times had they not been followed by Genay Pilarowski's 2:25.34, and Claire Collins' school record lowering, and NCAA "B" cut swim of 2:23.93.  For the men, Freshmen Robby Dorn and Kevin Wallin both had season best efforts of 2:21.93 and 2:21.89.  Nick Wechter also had a season best time of 2:16.74.  But it was Paul Chang who once again paced the men breaststrokers with his 2:10.87. 
In the finals of the 200 breaststroke, Genay Pilarowski put together a phenomenal 2:24.04, achieving an NCAA "B" time standard.  Claire Collins followed that with a 2:23.65, lowering her school record by another .28.  Paul Chang then bested his morning swim with a 2:10.61. 
The breaststroke events were just one snapshot of the meet as a whole.  There were countless other season best times--and several lifetime best times--at this year's Husky Invite.  Without resting for the meet and with only a few months of training, the meet was a huge success.  The NWC Championships in February is set to be an incredible swim meet.  There is no doubt that many, many records will fall.  
Over the next two weeks, we will re-focus our training and get back to work in the pool and weight room.  After a two week break from classes, the team will regroup in Southern California for an 8 day training camp in early January before returning to Walla Walla for the start of second semester.  Whitman also faces it's three hardest NWC dual meets of the season in January. 

High Hopes for Husky

Whitman is looking forward to a very successful meet this weekend at the annual Husky Invitational at King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, WA.  The meet is one of the largest Senior meets on the West coast.  Over 900 college and club athletes are entered into the meet from as far away as Phoenix, AZ and Calgary, Alberta. 
At this meet last year, then Freshman Karl Mering achieved an NCAA provisional cut in the 100 butterfly that ultimately qualified him for NCAA DIII Nationals.  Katie Chapman also achieved NCAA provisional cuts at the meet.
This year, we are looking forward to even more NCAA cuts.  With a psych sheet that would raise the eyebrows of many DI teams, there will be stiff competition in every event--and with good competition comes faster swimming.  Promising early season swims from many of our swimmers have resulted in great excitement even in the early weeks of the season.  Achieving NCAA time standards now is a huge shot in the arm to boost the team through the end of the semester and into a great week of work in California in January.  There are many NCAA hopefuls on the team this year and this meet could be the door to Nationals for many of our swimmers.
Each day, there is a preliminary session in the morning, and each evening the top 32 individuals in each event and top 16 relay teams get second swims.  The NWC Championships will be held at the same pool February 8-10, with the same event schedule; however, only the top 16 individuals and top 8 relays qualify for finals.  

For live meet results click here, and for more instant updates check the twitter @WhitmanSwimming

Looking Forward to a Big Weekend

In the first four NWC dual meets of the season, our Men’s team has lost a total of three races: the 200 freestyle against Willamette, and the 50 and 100 freestyle against Pacific.

Over the last five years, our Men’s team has transformed into one of the best in the country.  In 2001, Jenn’s first year as Whitman’s head coach, the Men’s team had 7 members.  It wasn’t until 2007 that the team finally got a roster into the double digits.  2007 was also the first year that the men’s team broke into the top four at the NWC Championships.  Since then, the men’s team has never placed worse than 4^th at the NWC Championships, including a best ever 2^nd place effort in 2012.  2012 was also the first time that any Whitman men qualified for NCAA DIII Nationals, placing 27^th as a team. 

Tomorrow morning Whitworth University rolls into town for the Northwest Invitational, along with Pacific University and College of Idaho.  Whitworth has won the NWC Championships every year since 2003.  Whitman has never won a meet against Whitworth.  But for the first time in Whitman's history, there is not only a slim chance of the Whitman men toppling Whitworth, but a very real possibility.  Whitman owns the top times in the Conference 14 our of 18 events: the 50, 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle events—as well as the 100 backstroke, 100 and 200 breaststroke, 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 200 and 400 freestyle relays, and the 400 medley relay.  

And for our women, coming off of a big win at Pacific at maintain a 4-0 Conference Dual Meet record, momentum is in their favor.  Our women are fired up and are ready to face-off with two of the top three teams in the Conference.  Freshman, Cameo Hlebasko holds the top times in the NWC in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events, Senior,  Genay Pilarowski holds the fastest 100 breast,   Junior, and Claire Collins holds the fastest 200 breast, and our women are also fastest in the NWC in both the 400 freestyle and 400 medley relay.  There are certain to be some incredible women's races in our pool on Saturday afternoon.

Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow’s meet, it is going to be one of the closest and hardest fought meets of the season for our men and women.  And, win or not, there will definitely be a Whitman vs. Whitworth dance-off on the bulkhead at the conclusion of the meet.

Hour of Power Offers Perspective

November is a tough month on our campus.  Course work is demanding, the intensity of our training is high, and sleep comes at a premium.  But last night our team engaged in an annual exercise that has turned into an integral part of our November training, and an opportunity to take a step back.  The Whitman swimmers were some of thousands of athletes from over 150 teams across the world to take part in the Hour of Power Relay. 
This year was the seventh annual Ted Mullin Hour of Power Relay.  The event was started by the Carleton College swimming program after one of their swimmers, Ted Mullin, passed away after a battle with sarcoma cancer.  The particular type of cancer is most commonly found among young people and is often fatal.  Since the first running of the event as awareness raiser and a research fundraiser, it has raised over $330,000.  During the relay, our team split into 5 relays.  The goal is that every relay stays the within the same 50 for the entire hour, with each athlete sprinting one 50 at a time.  Last year there were a total of 160 College, Club, and High School teams participating in the event--over 8000 athletes in total.
In swimming, as in many sports, it's easy to become lost in the details.  So much time and energy is spent dwelling on things like hand position, turns, breakouts, and, of course, times--that it's easy to lose sight of the privilege of being in a place that offers the opportunity to employ talents every day--in the classroom and in the pool.
In the midst of all the stress and tiredness that defines November, the Hour of Power offers a much needed respite, if only for an hour.  

Women's Team Fortitude Keeps Them Undefeated

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Whitman and Lewis & Clark’s Women’s teams have a rivalry born out of the NWC Championships, many years in the making.  2005 marked the beginning, where Whitman bested LC at the NWC Championships 586-248, Whitman 3^rd and LC 7^th.  The following year, the tables turned as LC took 2^nd with 528 points to Whitman’s 4^th place effort of 470 points.  A string of extremely close championship meets over the next five years brought the rivalry to the highest level: In 2007, Whitman’s women defeated LC 407-400, for a third place finish.  In 2008, Whitman was on top yet again, placing third overall with 411 points to LC’s 392.  In 2009, LC defeated Whitman soundly for a third place finish with 456 points to Whitman’s fourth place effort of 320.5 points.  In 2010 and 2011, LC and Whitman found themselves locked into two program-defining battles for third place.  LC came out on top in both of those contests, edging out victories of 356-355 in 2010, and 449-448 in 2011.  The odds of any two teams being separated by only one point after 18 events and three days of competition are astronomically low.  The difference between 3^rd place overall and 4^th place overall was ultimately determined by a 16^th place finish in one individual event.  The 2012 Championship brought revenge to our women’s team.  Whitman placed 3^rd with 506 points.  Lewis & Clark was 6^th with 303.

This history was not forgotten on Friday night’s contest between Whitman and Lewis & Clark.  Whitman was down five points with only the 100 breaststroke and 200 free relay remaining.  After a 1-2-3 sweep in the breaststroke to pick up 16 points, and another 1-2 finish in the 200 free relay to pick up another 15 points, Whitman’s women won the meet easily 113-92.  Whitman’s breaststroke dominance and powerful final relays outscored LC 31-5 over the final two events—proving that breaststroke continues to be a Whitman stronghold, and that when it comes down the the end, our women can get it done.  

Friday night's drama only set the stage for Saturday’s showdown against Pacific.  After an incredible 102.66-102.33 upset over reigning conference champions, University of Puget Sound, last weekend, Pacific’s women had momentum to carry into another tough weekend of meets against Whitworth on Friday and Whitman.   Falling to Whitworth on Friday night, Pacific came to the pool on Saturday making it clear that though they were defeated the previous night they were ready for battle. 

Whitman easily won the 400 medley relay.  After the early relay victory, Whitman picked up 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th in the 1000 free, 2^nd and 3^rd in the 200 free, 2^nd and 3^rd in the 50 free, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th in the 200 IM, and 2^nd and 3^rd in the 200 fly.  It was Cameo Hlebasko’s continued dominance in the 200 backstroke that notched Whitman’s first individual event victory with a time of 2:12.43.  She hasn't lost a dual meet race in the backstroke yet this year.  Ashley Jay lost a tough race in the 500 free, falling to 2^nd but going a season-best 5:25.58.  Going into the 200 breaststroke Whitman was down by 13 points.  

Once again, it was the breaststroke that decided the meet for our women.  Claire Collins swam to a win with a 2:29.70 in the 200 breaststroke, just out-touching Senior teammate Genay Pilarowski who  finished second at 2:29.71.  Freshman, Elise Tinseth, was 4^th at 2:33.88.  Following the breaststroke, Whitman finished the meet with a definitive 400 free relay performance.  Senior, Helen Jenne led off, followed by Freshman, Kendra Clinton, Sophomore, Ashley Jay, and Freshman, Cameo Hlebasko.  They won the relay by nearly five seconds and averaged :55.2 per leg.  The final score was Whitman 104, Pacific 101.

Saturday’s victory was a true team effort.  Whitman won just 4 out of 11 events—only 2 out of 9 individual events.  The difference-makers were the swimmers fighting for the one and two points awarded to fourth and fifth place.

These are big victories for our women’s team.  But their toughest contests are yet to come.  Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth’s teams both also hold 4-0 Conference dual meet records.  University of Puget Sound is 3-1, their only loss to Pacific.  Whitworth defeated Pacific and Lewis & Clark easily in their match-ups, and UPS defeated Lewis & Clark as well.  PLU also took down Pacific's women by a significant margin.  Our women face off against PLU, UPS, and Whitworth in January.  By then, we will have only gotten faster as we will have welcomed back Juniors Ellen Banks and Keller Hawkins from a semester of studying abroad.  We will also be joined by Senior, Charlotte Graham, who missed last weekend due to an academic conflict.  Senior, Katie Chapman—who will miss fall competition due to an ACL replacement—is also scheduled to return to competition in January.

This Saturday, November 17^th, Whitman is hosting the NW Invitational.  Three other teams will be here for the one-day meet: Whitworth, Pacific, and College of Idaho.  The meet starts at 1pm at the Paul Harvey Pool and will be a 32-event-order format meet—all five freestyle events will be swum, plus the 200 IM, 100’s and 200’s of each stroke, the 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay. 

Looking Towards the Future

Last weekend marked the beginning of Whitman's NW Conference dual meet season.  Whitman's men and women won in both contests, defeating Linfield on Friday night and Willamette on Saturday afternoon.  For a full recap about the weekend's meets click here...but keep reading for some fun analysis of the weekend's times and a promising look towards the future. 

Though there were many great swims last weekend, it was our new swimmers who made a splash in their first races in the events in which they will likely compete at the NWC Championships in February.  Many of them posted times this weekend that would have placed them in the top 16 at last year's NWC Championships--and those who didn't showed that with a solid season of training and a good taper anything can happen.
On Friday night, Elise Tinseth's time of 4:54.48 in Friday's 400 IM would have been fast enough to place 11th at last year's championship.  In the very same event, Jo Brunner placed third with a 5:06.25, which would have been good enough for 14th last year.  Also on Friday night, Cameo Hlebasko's outstanding 1:00.40 in the 100 backstroke would have gotten her a 5th place finish in the event's finals the previous year.  Kendra Clinton's 1:03.17 would have been good enough for 10th.  On the Men's side, of the event, Sam Starr's 54.22 would have gotten him 11th, and Will Erickson would have been 13th.  In the 2012 Championships, the Men's 100 backstroke was one of the strongest fields in the meet.  This year it looks to be even stronger.
In the breaststroke, Jo Brunner's 1:12.38 would have placed her 15th last year.  Nick Wechter's time of 1:04.84 would have put him 11th and Robby Dorn's 1:05.43 14th.  Last year, the Men's breaststroke events were two of the weaker events within the Conference.  However, after the first weekend of meets, the Men's breaststroke is looking like a very strong event across the conference--thanks in part to our freshman class.
Saturday was no different.  Elise Tinseth's 200 freestyle time of 2:03.58 would have gotten her 16th.  Sam Starr's 200 freestyle would have been 15th.  Cameo Hlebasko's 50 free would have placed her 15th.  Kendra Clinton's 200 fly would have placed her 9th.  Cameo Hlebasko's easy win in the 200 backstroke at 2:12.39 would have placed her 6th overall last year--just slightly faster than our own Keller Hawkins' Conference effort of 2:12.63.  Sam Starr and Will Erickson's 2:02.60 and 2:02.64 would have gotten them 14th and 15th respectively.  Last year, there were no Seniors in the top 8 finishers in the Men's 200 backstroke.  This year, it will almost certainly be one of the deepest events of the championship.
In the 200 breaststroke, Elise Tinseth's 2:33.81 would have placed her 15th.  For the men in the 200 breast, the NWC was wide open last year.  This year, like the 100 breast, the field looks to be much deeper.  Still, based on last year's results, Nick Wechter's 2:21.36 would have gotten him 8th, Robby Dorn's 2:28.29 would have gotten him 15th and Kevin Wallin's 2:29.12 16th.
Though there is no predicting what other teams will do when it comes down the the Conference Championships in February, there is no doubt that Whitman's new swimmers are will play a huge role in every event.  We are better than ever.

This weekend's meets against Lewis & Clark on Friday at 6pm and Pacific on Saturday at 11am will be good contests for our women.  Pacific defeated UPS's women last weekend with a score of 102.33 to 102.66 after a 3-way tie for first the 50 freestyle.  The margin of victory was so narrow that the meet was ultimately decided by a fifth place finish--instead of a sixth place finish--in one individual event (Standard college dual meet scoring is 9-4-3-2-1 in individual events, with a maximum of three individuals per team scoring, and 11-4-2 in relays, with a maximum of two relays per team scoring). Pacific's women were defeated by PLU 117-89.  Pacfic's men lost both contests.  L&C dropped both of their meets last weekend against PLU and UPS.

First Meets of the Season!

As usual, Whitman had the loudest team cheer and the most team spirit in our first weekend of Northwest Conference competition.  Last weekend's Sprint Pentathlon at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, and NW Relays at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, were Whitman's first look at the rest of the conference. 

Whitman had a very strong showing on Saturday evening.   Freshman, Cameo Hlebasko was the highest placing Whitman woman, getting fourth overall with a time of 3:02.85.  The meet is scored by adding together times from the five events swum by each athlete: 100IM, and a 50 of each stroke.  Freshman Kendra Clinton also placed in the top 10 with a time of 3:06.34, enough for 10th place.  The Whitman men put three in the top five overall.  Sophomore, Karl Mering won the meet with a combined time of 2:38.49, just beating out Whitworth's Aaron Vaccaro.  Senior, Galen Sollom-Brotherton was 4th with a combined time of 2:39.88, and sophomore, Nic Win, was 5th at 2:41.01.  There were also several individual event winners: Nic Win: 50 backstroke, 25.53; Genay Pilarowsky: 50 breaststroke, 31.90; Paul Chang: 50 breaststroke, 28.04; Karl Mering: 50 freestyle, 21.99. 

Sunday's relay meet was no less impressive as the men and women combined for a second place finish.  Whitman took control in several relays, flashing depth and winning easily in several events.  Freshmen Cameo Hlebasko and Kendra Clinton combined with Senior Libby Arnosti for a dominant 3 X 100 backstroke relay that won the meet in 3:08.07.  Not to be outdone, Freshman Will Erickson and Sophomores Karl Mering and Nic Win followed suit with a blowout victory in their 3 X 100 backstroke relay, posting a time of 2:42.90, nearly five seconds faster than second place UPS.  Following Saturday's rarely contested 100 IM, the swimmers had another shot at the event--this time in a relay.  Seniors, Paul Chang and Galen Sollom-Brotherton combined with Sophomore, Nic Win for a victory in the 3 X 100IM relay, beating second place Whitworth, in 2:47.44. 

Standard 200 and 400 freestyle relays were turned into mixed events, using any combination of two men and two women.  After last season's multiple team relay records in the freestyle relays, it was no surprise that Whitman seized control of the mixed freestyle relays.  Senior, Helen Jenne, Junior, Shunei Asao, Freshman, Cameo Hlebasko, and Sophomore, Karl Mering teamed up to make a powerful relay that won in a resounding 1:34.41.  Exactly one second ahead of second place PLU.  Mering, Hlebasko, Jenne and Galen Sollom-Brotherton combined for an even more dominant 400 freestyle relay, winning easily in 3:26.57. 

Regular Conference dual meets begin this weekend at home against Linfield (Friday at 6pm), and Willamette (Saturday at 1pm).

Alumni in Town

Tim Welch ('95), Dana Kelleher ('96), Kathy Farrell ('94) Jason Ridle ('97), Jamie Kennedy ('96), and retired Whitman Swimming coach Lee Coleman

As usual, the alumni cheated their way across the pool, turning 100's into 4 x 25 relays and strapping on fins whenever possible.  It was a great event for everyone and a fun way to start racing.  As usual, our new swimmers rose to the occasion and laid down some very fast early season swims.

With 24 alumni competing in the meet, it was a fantastic turnout.  Kathy Farrell, class of '94 was the oldest alumni competing, followed by Tim Welch, class of '95, our own volunteer assistant coach Jamie Kennedy, class of '96, Dana Kelleher, class of '96, and former 200 breaststroke record holder Jason Ridle, '97.  The rest of the alumni were from the 2000's.  Also in attendance was Lee Coleman, head Whitman swimming coach from 1980-1997. And, although the alumni broke the rules early and often, there were some surprisingly fast--and legal--swims from many of our retired Whitman swimmers. 

This Saturday and Sunday, October 27th and 28th, the team heads to Portland for the Sprint Pentathlon at Pacific University on Saturday at 5pm, and the Northwest Relay meet at Lewis & Clark on Sunday at 11am.  It will be Whitman's first look at other NWC schools.  Saturday's Sprint Pentathlon consists of a 100 IM and a 50 of each stroke.  Each swimmer's times are added up and the cumulative time is then scored.  Sunday's relay meet consists of mixed medley and freestyle relays (two men and two women), 3 x 100 relays of each stroke, a 3 x 100 IM relay, a 3 x 200 freestyle relay and a 3 x 300 freestyle relay.  Conference dual meets start across the conference the following weekend, with Whitman at home for Friday and Saturday meets against Linfield and Willamette. 

Running into the Season

Senior, Cari Cortez, and Junior, Claire Collins, both ran in the Walla Walla half marathon on Sunday morning.  Sophomore, Nic Win, completed the full marathon, his second marathon of the year.

In the final weekend before swimming competition gets under way, three of our Whitman swimmers competed in the Walla Walla marathon and half marathon.  For Senior Cari Cortez, it was her first ever half marathon.  It was Claire Collins' second half marathon of the year.  Sophomore, Nic Win competed in his second marathon of the year.  Cari and Claire, both breast-strokers, ran side by side throughout the race and crossed the finish line together with a time of 2:10:42.  Nic placed 4th overall in the marathon and first in his age-group.  His time of 3:27:20 knocked nearly 13 minutes off of the time he ran in July.

This weekend is the annual Alumni Meet, at 10am on Saturday, October 20th.  Over the next four weekends, Whitman will participate in the Sprint Pentathlon and Relay Meet (October 27th and 28th, in Portland); dual meets against Linfield and Willamette (November 2nd and 3rd, at home), and Lewis & Clark and Pacific (November 9th and 10th, in Portland), and the Northwest Invite (November 17th, at home).  Be sure to follow us on twitter @WhitmanSwimming for live meet updates!

Balancing School and Swimming

Galen Sollom-Brotherton was recently featured in an article on the Whitman Athletics website!  It's a great testament to the Whitman Student-Athlete experience--and to the strength of our team.  To check out the article click here. 

Congratulations Tucker!

Tucker Jackson Gets Inducted to the Whitman Hall of Fame

Saturday night, Tucker Jackson, '01, became the second Whitman swimmer in school history to be inducted to the Whitman Varsity Athletics Hall of Fame.
During his four years at Whitman, Jackson never lost a race in the 50 freestyle.  He is the only Whitman swimmer ever to achieve that feat.  He is also the only Whitman swimmer to win four consecutive Northwest Conference titles.  His lifetime best 21.40 in the 50 freestyle was the school record from 1999 until 2011, when then Freshman Karl Merring broke that time with a spectacular mid-season swim of 20.93.  Jackson was only slightly less dominant in the 100 freestyle, where he lost just one dual meet race in four years.  Jackson's 1999 record time of 47.07 barely outlasted Jamie Nusse ('11) who narrowly missed beating Jackson's time during his senior campaign and who holds the third fastest time in Whitman history at 47.15.  However, it was Nusse who ended Jackson's Whitman Alumni Meet winning streak in the 50 freestyle.  Jackson had won the 50 free at every alumni meet from 2002 until Nusse beat him in 2010.  Karl Merring eventually dethroned Jackson's 100 freestyle record as well with his phenomenal 2012 NWC Championship winning swim of 46.14.  Though he is no longer on the record board, Jackson still holds Whitman's 2nd fastest times in the 50 and 100 freestyle, the 6th fastest 200 freestyle, and the 8th fastest 100 butterfly.
"My freshman year we had five guys and five women," Jackson recalled of the swimming program.  "We couldn't run two relays."
Eleven years later, the team has grown from 10 to over 40; from battling it out to avoid being last at the NWC Championships to a best ever second place Men's finish and third place Women's finish in 2012; from barely being able to put together one relay to having 2012 NWC Men's Champion relays in the 200, 400, and 800 freestyle relays. 
Whitman is a strong team and only getting stronger.  Though the accomplishments and goals have moved onto the National stage, Tucker Jackson and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of Whitman swimming.

Triathlon Tomorrow!

It's not too late to participate in the triathlon!  The registration table will open at 6:45am tomorrow morning at the Harvey Pool if you would like to race but haven't submitted your entry form yet.  $30 per individual and $45 per team.  See you there!

Follow us on Twitter

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Running All Summer

Last summer, rising sophomore Nic Win competed in the Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon

The 2012 Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon and Half Marathon brought out more than 22,000 competitors.  One of those was our own Nic Win.  It was his first ever marathon.
"I felt like I needed to do something big," Nic said.
Nic finished 288th out of 1657 male finishers, and 355th out of 3094 total finishers.  His time of 3:40:55 put him at an average pace of 8:26 per mile.  Despite his outstanding performance in his first ever effort in the 26.2 mile race, it wasn't easy. 
"The training for it was hard," he said.  "And during the race, refusing to believe that my body was giving up on me after the 20 mile mark was also pretty tough."  Nic made it through the first 20 miles in a blistering 2:32:59.
"It's fun realizing that I was one of hundreds of people running in the event.  It's fun to realize what people are actually capable of."
Nic plans on continuing his distance running endeavors in his off-seasons from swimming.  "It's always nice to be reminded about what sports are all about," he says.  "It's good to get a different  perspective."

During his first year at Whitman, Nic was a dominant force in both the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 IM.  At the NWC Championships Nic placed 4th in the 200 IM with a time of 1:56.48, the second fastest time in Whitman history and just .05 off the school record.  He followed his 200 IM with a 5th place performance in the 100 backstroke with a time of 53.03, also the second fasted in Whitman history, bested only by fellow Freshman Kevin O'Leary who set the Whitman record time with a 52.86.  Nic was also 7th at the NWC Championships in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:58.54.  He ranks 3rd all-time at Whitman in that event.  Finally, Nic was a member of both the 200 and 400 medley relay teams.  Both of them set school records at the NWC Championships.

When asked what he's most looking forward to about the 2012-2013 season Nic said simply, "Winning something big."

Let the Season Begin!

This afternoon we had our first practice of the 2012-2013 season!  We were so excited to see all of the old and new faces alike!  Here's to another ground-breaking season for Whitman Swimming!

Fall Triathlon September 29th!

Don't forget to sign up for our annual Fall Triathlon!  Registration is just $20 for each individual and $30 for each team if you register by September 21st.  All participants get a t-shirt, snacks, and entry to win some great raffle prizes.  The course is flat and easy with a 500 yard swim (in the Paul Harvey Pool), a 10 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run.  You can sign up in Reid Campus Center from 12-1pm starting Monday, September 17th.  There are also sign up sheets available in Baker Ferguson Fitness Center, Sherwood Athletic Center, and downtown at Allegro Cyclery.  Contact Chris Bendix with questions.
See you at the race!

Kevin Goes to Germany

Here's what Kevin Dyer, a Senior and one of our two Men's Team Captains, had to say about what he did last summer.   



This last summer I spent a portion of my time at home, doing the normal summer thing (working, relaxing, hanging out with friends), but at the beginning of July that all changed. For basically the entire month of July I was in Leipzig, Germany, as part of a German as a foreign language course. I was able to take the course thanks to a scholarship I was awarded from the German Academic Exchange Society (Deutscher Akademischer Austasch Dienst in German), which was incredibly awesome. Basically all of my expenses were paid for, and I got to spend several weeks both learning more of the language and getting to experience authentic German culture. It was an absolutely incredible experience that I feel extremely lucky to have had (the bed bugs that I got from the first hotel I stayed in aside).

I loved getting to experience Germany, as well as getting to know the people in my program, many of whom were from countries other than the US. Favorite thing (apart from the monuments, the trips to famous, historical cities like Berlin and Dresden, and the general awesomeness about being there)? The food! Oh man, the food! Coming back to the States was hard for several reasons, but right up there at the top of the list was leaving the German bakery culture behind (like our Starbucks culture, but with a bakery on every corner instead). If I could bring back one thing from their culture and add it to ours, it would definitely be that.

As of now, I'm not sure if I'll be using my experience for other Whitman projects, outside of the improvements to my German language skills which I will be applying to my German courses this year. Regardless, it was an experience I am very fortunate to have had, and I am extremely glad I took the chance to step outside of my comfort zone and live in another country for a month (one that speaks an entirely different language at that).

CSCAA Division 3 Scholar All-America Team

Yesterday the CSCAA released the list of Division 3 Scholar All-Americans. Whitman was well represented with First year Karl Mering garnering Scholar All-American honors while Senior Mitchell Lee and Junior Katie Chapman were named Honorable Mention Scholar All Americans.

A Scholar All American carries a 3.5 GPA or higher while being selected to D3 NCAA Championships. Honorable mention is given to those with a GPA of 3.5 or higher who attain a provisional qualifying standard, regardless of selection to the NCAA Championships.

The complete list can be found here.

Wicked Cool Summer Experience Part 4

Meet Tyler 

Year: Rising senior, class 2013

Major: Chemistry

Favorite Events: 100 Fly, 50 Breast

Kevin: Why Whitman?

Tyler: I really liked the overall atmosphere of the whole college when I visited. The swim team was also very open and accepting of me, and just seemed like a lot of fun. The strong academics were also a necessity.

Kevin: Where are you spending the summer?

Tyler: In the Science Building at Whitman.

Kevin: Hahaha, What are you doing?

Tyler: I am synthesizing cadmium free (cadmium is super toxic) nanocrystals that can be used to make LED's more efficient. As of now, it is difficult for LED's to emit a good white light (covering all of the visible light) because a lot of the materials can't emit in the green region. Ideally, these nanocrystals will absorb UV light and then emit it in more of the green region, which would give an overall nice white light.

Kevin:  Sounds like a fun project. What are you doing in Walla Walla to keep busy?

Tyler: Mostly just swimming and working out in the gym trying to stay in shape for next season.

Kevin: What a good way to spend the summer! One last question. What are you looking forward to most for next season?

Tyler: I am excited for my last year of college and for what I hope to be our team's best season yet.

Wicked Cool Summer Experience Part 3

Meet Erin

Year: Rising senior, class 2013

Major: Biology

Favorite Events: 1650, 500, 50 freestyle

Kevin: Why Whitman?

Erin: I chose Whitman after visiting the college with my cousin who graduated in 2009 and immediately loved it. The campus is beautiful and the science department is full of wonderful professors who are willing to work with each student to help them succeed.

Kevin: What does your summer look like?

Erin: I am spending my summer on the tiny island of Sanibel in southwest Florida working at the Sanibel Sea School (a small non-profit organization dedicated to educating young kids about the ocean and the biology associated with it) in addition to doing research.

Kevin: Sounds like a lot of fun! What are you researching?

Erin: My research is in plankton and artificial reefs. I am monitoring plankton communities between two locations to draw a correlation between plankton diversity and abundance and reef health. A new ship is being sunk as an artificial reef that may end up being a great research tool.

Kevin:  Sounds like a fun project. What else are you doing in Florida to keep busy?

Erin: I like to spend my free time exploring the beach and the Gulf of Mexico. My other job keeps me extra busy with kids and camp programs. On weekends I love to escape to nearby Bradenton and I hope to make it down to South Beach this summer.

Kevin: Sounds like a good way to spend the summer. What are your hopes moving forward with your research?

Erin: I am hoping that my research will get me somewhere and give me enough data to formulate a thesis. Maybe it will even save the ocean!

Wicked cool summer experience part 2

Meet Genay

Year: Rising Senior

Major: Biology

Favorite Events: The 100 Breast (Current School Record Holder) and 200 Breast 

Kevin: First question. Why did you choose Whitman College?

Genay: I chose Whitman because in general, I wanted a small liberal arts
school.  Whitman was on my radar of small liberal arts schools because
I know a few people who graduated from here who had only good things
to say about the school.  So when I decided to transfer from UCLA, I looked
closer at Whitman and started talking to Jenn and to some students.
Everyone seemed genuinely interested in the subjects they were
studying and it seemed that everyone was here to enjoy the process of
education and not simply the end result of it, which is really
appealing to me.

Kevin: So where are you spending your summer?

Genay: I'm currently spending my summer in Cleveland, OH with an
internship in a lab in the Genomic Medicine Institute at the Cleveland
Clinic.

Kevin: That sounds really cool! What are you researching?

Genay: The research I am a part of is focused on the epigenetics of
obesity and diabetes and also of X-chromosome inactivation.
Epigenetics is basically the study of heritable changes in gene
expression, where the underlying DNA sequence is not altered, but
there are other modifications to the DNA (such as methylation or
histone modifications) that prevent specific genes from being
expressed.  Our lab is looking at the effects of obese mothers and
mothers on high fat-diets on their offspring's DNA methylation.  We
are using mice to model and look at the epigenetics of the mother and
her pups by scanning the genome of the mother and the genome of the
pups as well as placental cells (which are a mixture of the mother and
the pup) for DNA methylation.  We will then compare the methylation
patterns to see if they are inherited by the pups and also look for
methylation on regions of the genome that are known to be involved in
causing obesity and/or diabetes.

This research really excites me because the study of epigenetics is a
relatively new field, but as we continue to find out more about it, it
is becoming apparent that it is a very important field for
understanding phenotype and gene expression in many diseases.

Kevin: That really sounds like amazing research. What kinds of things are you doing with your free time outside of the lab?

Genay:  There's actually quite a bit to do in Cleveland.  I have been swimming and going to the gym before work on the weekdays and doing a variety of things on the weekends.  I've visited my grandpa and uncles a bit and this past weekend I went to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers!  Indians seats are cheap so baseball has provided a bit of entertainment.  Other than that, there's always the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and lots of good restaurants and nice parks.

Kevin: Very cool. One last question for you. What are you looking forward to most about next season?

Genay: Related to my internship, I'm actually looking forward to writing
my thesis!  I am excited to be able to use the research I complete
this summer for my thesis because it is a great opportunity to
understand epigenetics in more detail and learn more about how to
write up a professional scientific article.

Otherwise, I'm SO EXCITED for swimming!  I can't wait to see what I
can do and what the team as a whole will be able to do with all our
talent and STL.  I think that it's going to be a really great group
and that we're going to have a lot of fun together.  For that reason,
I'm especially looking forward to our travel meets.  They're great
because they're a nice excuse to get off campus for a few days with
some of my favorite people!  The best is obviously California which
will be amazing as always.

 

Wicked Cool Swimmer’s Summer Experience

Meet Paul Chang

Year: Rising Senior

Major: Chemistry

Favorite Events: The 100 and 200 Breast (Current School Record Holder)

as well as the 50 Free

Kevin: First and foremost, why did you choose Whitman College?

Paul: I decided to come to Whitman because the swimming program here seemed really close and personal. I also heard great things about the science program here.

Kevin: So where are you spending your summer?

Paul: I am spending my summer at Whitman doing research with my Chemistry major adviser Professor Juhasz.

Kevin: That sounds really cool! What are you researching?

Paul: I am doing research on carboranes, which are 11 boron-1 carbon closed cage clusters. These carboranes are really interesting because they are very similar to benzene, which is a common organic molecule in the biological world. Carboranes have tons of uses in industry and medicine. Because of this, research is being conducted on various techniques for synthesizing new carborane compounds. My research group in particular is trying to synthesize new species of carborane molecules.

Kevin: That is a really cool experience. What are you doing in your free time?

Paul: I am working a bit on my Korean and Spanish. I am also starting to prep for the MCAT (Medical School) test for next year.

Kevin: Sounds like a busy summer. One more question for you. What are you looking forward to most next year?

Paul: I'm looking forward to graduating and hopefully getting into medical school. I also am really excited about next swimming season. It's looking like it'll be a good year.

Academic All-America for Helen Jenne

 Congratulations to Helen! She earned Capitol One Academic All-District honors and is now eligible for Academic All-America recognition. Read about it here.

Congratulations Seniors!

 Matt and Matt Being Matt

Captain Bendix

 Frozen Alyssa

Professor Ian

 Sylvie and Katie

Chemistry Buddies Mitchell and Monica

Lena getting ready to swim

Jenn wins George Ball Award!

Congratulations to Head Coach Jenn Blomme for receiving the George Ball Award for Excellence in Advising! The swim team, and college community, thanks you for all that you do! Read about it here.

Varsity Banquet/ Record Board Signing

On Tuesday May 1st the team got all gussied up and headed to Reid for the All Sport Varsity Banquet. Before heading over we met as a team and signed all the records that we broke this season which was a ton of fun!

After a quick stop on the steps of Cordiner Hall for a few pictures of the team looking there best, taken by non-other than the President of the College, we finally arrived at the banquet.

And then we raked up! Both men's and women's teams were honored as Academic All Americans. Helen Jenne was recognized for having the 5th highest GPA among all varsity athletes. Both Galen and Karl were honored for being All-Americans. Karl Mering was named male outstanding performer for the first year class, Keller Hawkins won the female outstanding performer for the sophomore class, and Galen Sollom-Brotherton was recognized as the male outstanding performer for the junior class.

What an amazing season with amazing athletes! Congratulations to everyone. Check out some more pictures at our flickr account

Last day for early registration!

Today is the last day for triathlon early registration! Get your forms to the swim team (in reid from 12-1) or to Kevin Howard in the BFFC office 208.

Whitman TRI

The Whitman TRI is coming up on MAY 5th.

Early registration before April 27th $20 individual/ $30 team
Regular Registration before May 5th $30 individual/$45 team

For more information check out the website here, or e-mail us at howardk@whitman.edu

NCAA's

What and amazing week. We came home from NCAA Championships with 2 honorable mention all American honors (Galen in the 500, Karl in the 200 Fly), one outright All American honor (Galen in the mile) and 27th place overall as a team. Big congratulations to Karl for posting the 3rd fastest time of the meet during finals in his 200 fly! What a way to represent Whitman Swimming!

Spring 2012 Triathlon

The dates of the Spring Tri have been announced. May 5th! We will see you there.

We are going to NCAA's!

Selections are out and Karl and Galen are heading to NCAA Championships!

Karl with swim the 50 free, 100 fly and 200 fly while Galen will swim the 400IM, 500 free and Mile.

The Men's 800 freestyle relay finished 20th in the country. What a great result for Kevin, Mitchell, Karl and Galen.

NWC Session 5

One more school record to go with the 18 broken already this weekend. Tonight's swims promise to be unreal!

Congratulations to Karl Mering for breaking the 100 Free School Record in prelims.

NWC Session 4

The Northwest Conference Championships continues to be absolutely amazing! Such great swims by everyone. So far this weekend we have broken 18 school records and have 4 NCAA qualifing times.

New School Records
Women's 50 free- Helen
Men's and Women's 500 free- Galen and Ashley
Men's and Women's 100 Back- Kevin O'Leary and Keller
Women's 200 IM- Katie
Men's and Women's 100 Breast- Paul and Genay
Men's 400 IM- Galen
Men's 200 Free- Karl

Women's 200 Free Relay- Helen, Ellen, Sara, Keller
Men's 200 Free Relay- Karl, Mitchell, Shunei, Galen
Women's 400 Medley Relay- Keller, Genay, Katie, Helen
Men's 400 Medley relay- Nic, Paul, Karl, Galen
Women's 200 Medley Relay- Keller, Genay, Katie, Helen
Men's 200 Medley Relay- Nic, Paul, Matt L, Mitchell
Women's 800 Free Relay- Charlotte, Claire, Katie, Ashley
Mens's 800 Free Relay- Karl, Kevin O, Mitchell, Galen

NWC Session 3

So many great swims this morning! 2 more school records and one more NCAA cut, making 12 school records this weekend and 2 NCAA cuts.

Cannot wait for tonight to see our swimmers rock finals!

School record: Women's 100 Backstroke, Keller Hawkins
School Record: Men's 400 IM, Galen Sollom-Brotherton
NCAA B Cut: Men's 400 IM, Galen Sollom-Brotherton

NWC Session 2

Amazing swimming by everyone tonight at finals. 10 school records fell on day one alone.

Women's 50 free- Helen
Men's and Women's 500 free- Galen and Ashley
Men's and Women's 100 Back- Nic and Keller
Women's 200 IM- Katie
Women's 200 Free Relay- Helen, Ellen, Sara, Keller
Men's 200 Free Relay- Karl, Mitchell, Shunei, Galen
Women's 400 Medley Relay- Keller, Genay, Katie, Helen
Men's 400 Medley relay- Nic, Paul, Karl, Galen

Lets keep the momentum rolling into tomorrow!

NWC Session 1

What an incredible first session. Amazing swimming highlighted by 3 school records.

Galen Sollom-Brotherton New school record and NCAA B Cut in the 500 freestyle (4:30.44)
Ashley Jay New school record in the 500 freestyle (5:12.27)
Helen Jenne New School record in the 50 freestyle (24.41)

Keller Hawkins was also under the school record mark in her 50 freestyle with a 24.47!

Whitworth and UPS

What a great meet!

Congratulations to our two new school records, Galen in the 500 and the Mens Medley Relay of Nic, Paul, Karl, and Mitchell

As well as the new pool record holder at Whitworth in the mens 100 Fly, Karl!

A full write up can be found here.

Over all Scores

Men

Whitworth 69 Whitman 53

Whitman 76 UPS 45

Women

Whitworth 77 Whitman 45

Whitman 68 UPS 54

Both teams finish NWC play with 5-1 records.

Whitworth and UPS

This weekend we will be heading up to Spokane for a double dual meet against UPS and Whitworth. There will be a lot of fast swimming and great racing.

This is also the last home meet for our seniors. A full story can be found here.

Hope we see you there!