Pioneer Swimming Lewis & Clark

Heading north for fast swimming!

2011-12-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

The Pioneers hit the road this evening for Federal Way, Washington and the Husky Invitational. A behemoth of collegiate/USA Swimming competition, the Husky Invite is in its 63rd year. This year should prove to be the biggest year of attendance so far.

Today has seen bright sun and blue skies over Portland that should take us through a relatively clear, yet crisp, weekend of travel and competition.

Autumn on Palatine Hill

2011-11-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Week Six Update: Season up to now

2011-10-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

We’ve past the ¼ marker on our season and time has flown by. Midterms are also in the rearview for most of our swimmers.

So far we have seen MANY great workouts. Sunny September and part of October made for great outside dryland on the field and in the stadium. Med balls have flown and tubing has stretched. More than a few stairs have been hopped, jumped and run.

In the water, the team is powering through great workouts and swimming fast already.

Fast swimming is always fun, but we make room for other kinds of fun, as well...

Synchronized swimming showcase over Fall Break.

The surprise appearance of boxes of VooDoo at a Saturday workout and partner relays for teambuilding and coordination.

We even took time out from training one afternoon to enjoy a surprise fire alarm.

Last weekend after our football team moved to 5-0 on the season, River had this to say: "That may have been the best football game I've been to... and I've been in the pep band since 8th grade!" Pep, indeed!

Campus is alive and buzzing with sports victories and busy academic schedules. The pool is filled each day with energetic and engaged teammates working and laughing together. This week is Homecoming and we look forward to Saturday’s Alumni Meet!

Greetings, dinners, friends and ice cream! Welcome to a new school year!

2011-09-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

The annual march of new students and faculty to the field for Convocation...

And the hectic (and free) dinner in the glad outside the pool to follow Convocation.

Team Ice Cream Social!! Welcome to the swim team!

"Pio Fair!" The annual campus-wide activities fair: Live music, dinner, hundreds of student activities booths and lots of fun to kick off the new school year.

And really strange men on stilts... Say hi to Lucas in the bottom left, as well. Watch your fingers Lucas!!

Academic national recognition for Men’s and Women’s swim teams!

2011-07-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

The CSCAA (College Swim Coaches Assoc. of America) released yesterday the certified results for their Spring Scholar All-America Team Awards.

Congrats to our men’s and women’s teams both for making this list!

Alumni News: Zach Yeager wins June Lake Triathlon

2011-07-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Congrats to class of 2009 grad Zach Yeager in his 1st Place overall finish last weekend at the June Lake Triathlon! He raced the grueling Olympic distance with most of the race at around 8000 feet in elevation.

Coach Miller named honorable mention Assistant Coach-of-the-Year

2011-05-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Assistant Coach Michael Miller received honorable mention status in CollegeSwimming.com’s Assistant of the Year awards. Michael was nominated by Matt Yelin (c/o 2011) and head coach Chris Fantz. We're so proud of the care our assistant coaches put into our swimming program!

Check it out!

http://www.collegeswimming.com/news/2011/may/17/assistant-of-the-year-honorable-mention-michael-mi/

Sunny Wednesday morning on Fir Acres Campus

2011-05-04T11:18:00.001-07:00

Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony & Dessert

2011-04-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

Last night students and coaches from all 19 intercollegiate teams at Lewis & Clark came together to celebrate accomplishments and send our seniors off into the world.

After a spectacular video presentation by student filmmaker Remy Neymarc, our very own senior and team captain Matt Yelin stepped up to MC the event, alongside Margaret Dowling from Volleyball/Basketball.

The first award of the evening went to one of our standout freshmen swimmers, Kayla Ernewein, who was named “Rookie of the Year” among all female athletes at the College.

Caz was a finalist for “Female Athlete of the Year” after her dominance at the NWC Championship and Matt Yelin was a finalist for the “Senior Career” award.

Our seniors left with the most swag, taking away their orange graduation tassels, an L&C watch or crystal ornament, and a brand new wireless keyboard with the L&C athletics logo splashed across the keys. Jealousy ran deep over that one. What a great sendoff for our seniors.

Friday on the grassy knoll.....

2011-04-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

The swim office has been graced with a stunning Friday on campus. Above, two different classes meet on the field below Frank Manor House and students lounge on a sunny afternoon. Tomorrow's forecast even better!

Team Banquet Picnic!

2011-04-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

The sun washed over a green and blooming Portland Sunday for the swim team’s annual banquet. This year’s gathering took the form of a picnic in Sellwood Park just across the river from campus. The park sits on a bluff overlooking the wildlife refuge, Oaks Park, the river, and downtown Portland beyond.

We celebrated with some great snacks and desserts before handing out varsity letters and a load of special awards.

Congratulations to all of Pioneer Swimming for a fantastic season with a wonderful group of people!

Our honorees this year:

Our dear, dear graduating SENIORS:
· Matt Yelin
· Claudia Ramirez
· Susie Trexler
· Lee Taylor
· Claire Jordan
· Kim Guinn
· Cat Menkel-Lawrence

Outgoing Captains:
· Matt Yelin
· Lee Taylor
· Claire Jordan
· Susie Trexler
· Kira McGieson

Incoming 2011-2012 Captains:
· Rachel Wolf
· Kira McGieson
· Steven Carreno
· Noah Boring

Most Inspirational:
· Kayla Ernewein
· Claire Jordan
· Matt Yelin
Outstanding Swimmer:
· Rachael Cazden
· Shuichi Matsumoto

Most Improved:
· Evan Damon
· Kayla Ernewein
· Matt Gallagher

Best Smile:
· Kira McGieson
· Noah Boring
· Shuichi Matsumoto
· Lesley Pfeiffer

No April Fool’s... A sunny, sunny Friday on campus!

2011-04-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Class on the lawn, anyone?

Conference Championship in photos by swimmer Kate Garvey

2011-03-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Women crush four Relay records in three days.....

2011-03-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Fastet 400 Free Relay in school history by 2 seconds. No big deal...

Kayla, Hannah, Rachael and Susie.

Conference Champs: Day One Prelims

2011-02-25T16:38:00.001-08:00

Great first session! In heat one of the 500 Eva and Rachel L. got us off to a quick start with 13- and 9-second lifetime bests for our first swims! Pios kept rolling with strong 500s. Claire and Lesley both come back for second swims tonight.

The women’s 200 IM squad sees all four competitors coming back to score points. Cat, Alli, Katy and Taylor put up great morning swims and look to go even faster tonight.

In the 50 Freestyle, Caz and Kayla swam into the 24’s to make the big final while Hannah Frank posted a lifetime best to get a second swim in consols. On the men’s side, we have three men coming back, as well. Shu made finals and Noah and Isaac will try to dominate the B final.

Now we leave for a huge first evening of Finals, which are bookended by exciting relays: the 200 Free Relay and the 400 Medley.
Go Pios!

SENIOR DAY !!

2011-02-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we honored a group of swimmers who have given so much to our team over the past four seasons. It has been a privilege to watch this group mature into the amazing people you see today.

This was their last home meet as undergrads, but we hope to see them many more times as alumni! Next year they will be college graduates doing more great things with their lives and we will get to hear about their journeys and their successes.

To the class of 2011, we say thank you for your enthusiasm, your hard work, your leadership, and the love you have given to this swim team.

We celebrate our seniors, we thank them, and we cheer them on into bright futures!

Pioneer Happenings....

2011-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

February is only a week old and already it’s been a busy month. Monday of a new week gives us a moment’s pause to reflect on what we’ve accomplished so far in the new year.

Zoo Day! The Oregon Zoo was free on MLK day and several swimmers (and one coach) took the chance to roam with the animals. Rachel and Kayla found themselves part of an exhibit.

Talent Show—We knew our team was high on talent, but the annual Talent Show allowed us to see the heights and depths of those talents. From baking to balancing, card tricks to Rubik’s cube, and music videos galore, this year set the bar high for all future talent shows.

Last week against Willamette, senior and team captain Matt Yelin completed his around-the-world circuit of every collegiate individual event. (Hence the “14” he is hoisting post-race.) Matt saved the best (some would say) for last as he completed the 200 Butterfly.

In our dual meet with Pacific on Saturday both our women and men swept the 50 freestyle 1st-2nd-3rd. Sweeps have been oft-occurring this season for both squads, a sure sign of depth across the meet line-up!

Smoothie Day (this morning) is a mostly annual tradition where the sounds of blending fruits and juices fill the air and delicious tropical aromas permeate the pool.

Happy Groundhog Day !!

2011-02-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Shadow or no shadow, groundhogs around Portland know Pioneer swimmers have less than four more weeks until the Conference Championship. The swim team traveled to Salem last weekend for wins over Willamette in both men’s and women’s duals.

Now the team returns home to compete in their final dual meets of the season hosting Pacific this Saturday the 5th and College of Idaho for “Senior Day” on Friday the 11th.

Winter Training 2011 !!

2011-01-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

Lewis & Clark Swimming kicks off 2011 with a training trip to southern California. High-intensity training + team bonding = SUCCESS for 2nd semester

Spend time with the swim team and you can:

Swing your arms in a circle...

Hop up some stairs...

Get your hair done...

And swim beautiful butterfly!

Sunday the Pios spent just a hair under 3 ½ training and took the afternoon off for a much-deserved trip to the Santa Monica Pier.

"Zoltar predicts school records this season..."

In addition to fast swimming and quality workouts, Winter Training provides time to frolick...

Time to relax...

Time to dominate the competition...

But, most of all it comes down to getting the work done with teammates you can count on, loving the process, and having FUN along the way.

Happy Holidays from Pioneer Swimming !

2010-12-21T11:35:00.001-08:00

Swimming doesn’t pause for Pioneers abroad

2010-12-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Rachel is just wrapping up her studies abroad in Chile before returning home for the holidays and rejoining us for Winter Training. In November she participated in III Copa San Alfonso del Mar in Algarrobo, Chile. The swim was contested in one of the largest pools in the world. Here is her story.............

The pool is over a kilometer long and is literally a few hundred feet from the ocean. Although the water is ocean water, it is crystal clear and maintained at about 28 degrees Celsius all year - that's cold for a pool, warm for the ocean, and perfect for an open water swim. I entered with a friend in the 3000 meters and we raced against over 150 other competitors from all over the world and all age groups. I finished in about the middle of the pack.

My friend won his division (he's the guy standing next to me with the medal after our swim). We all received participation medals, but the real prize was spending a perfect sunny day in San Alfonso, swimming in that incredible pool, and watching the sun set over the last group of swimmers racing the 5000 meters.

Swimming is a natural high, and the adrenaline and endorphins after that race were the best I've ever felt. At the end of the day, I was tired and happy and it was truly an unforgettable experience.

Men Smash 20 Year-Old Relay Record!

2010-12-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

Few words necessary. Steven, Shu, Chris and Noah fulfilled a many-year quest by recent generations of Pio men as they blew away the 200 Medley Relay record swimming in tonight’s finals.

Congratulations on a whole team effort!

--photo by Lee Taylor

Day II Prelims

2010-12-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

Excellent morning for us! Strong swims in prelims with six individuals and two relays qualifying for tonight’s finals. Rachael continues her roll by lowering her own 100 backstroke record from last year’s championship.

A few spectacular pics from the first day of racing by senior swimmer Lee Taylor!

Husky Invite Day I

2010-12-03T23:04:00.001-08:00

Day one is through. Day two draws near and with it more races, more cheering, more team meals and precious moments to nap or throw an impromptu van dance party.

Caz kicked our day into high gear in prelims with an inspiring School Record swim in her 50 freestyle. Congratulations! She would go on to lower this time another tenth in finals.

Freshmen Alli, Taylor, and Kayla all moved into the top-10 all-time for Pioneer swimmers. Alli and Taylor got into the record books in the 200 IM and Kayla in the 50. Sky is the limit!

During some down time, our team shows how they put the STUDENT in student-athlete.

Or working their magic on teammates' hair...

Husky Invite begins Friday!

2010-12-02T23:45:00.000-08:00

Pio swimmers are all comfortably tucked into their hotel rooms as we await great swims tomorrow morning in prelims. Let the racing begin!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

Portland is in the middle of a real cold snap by Northwest standards. A beautiful, crisp morning for a stroll around campus. Some glimpses into the surrounds. I know many are thankful we spend our days here.

2010-11-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, November 9th, the Pios participated in the Ted Mullin “Leave it in the Pool Hour of Power Relay.” We raced a continuous relay for one hour at the same time as over 6,000 swimmers on more than 130 college and club teams around the country. The relay is in honor of a Carlton swimmer who passed away from sarcoma.

The “Leave it in the Pool Relay” joins together swimmers in solidarity as they race together, rather than against. Not only did our athletes race continuous relay 50s for an hour, but they also worked together to keep all five relay teams on the same leg of the relay by switching strokes to maintain an all-out effort and still stay with their teammates. Pretty awesome!

I’ve not seem a team more connected, fired-up, and passionate than ours was throughout this spectacular hour. Check out footage of the last lap of this year’s relay!

Pioneer Swimming sprints to victories in first intercollegiate competition of the season.

2010-10-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

A great night of racing and an even better night of cheering and team bonding.

The many expressions of Pioneer swimmers...

Fashion-forward Taylor sets the tone for warm-up in a stunning floral motif.

Yes, this is where we get to hang out.

2010-10-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Looking left and right out the side pool door after morning workout.

Breakfast Creations

2010-10-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

A stellar morning workout and a burst of creativity spurred freshman swimmer Chris Moon to concoct this breakfast delicacy: Strawberry yogurt corn flake French toast.

That is one great dog!

2010-10-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

What creature beneath yonder sheet resides?

The Unveil........

The artist, Georgia Gerber with AD Clark Yeager.

Student-Athlete Brandis Piper gave an awesome speech about the connection he’s felt between athletics and the whole L&C campus community. The feel-good talk of the day!

Buddy and his more eternal, less fluffy counterpart Pio.

Nothing says CELEBRATION quite like dog bone-shaped cookies frosted in school colors. And I mean nothing.

5 Reasons for Excitement in October:

2010-10-11T12:43:00.001-07:00

1. Alumni Swim Meet and the first intercollegiate competition bookend the month of October
2. Leaves are changing colors all over Portland
3. President-Elect Barry Glassner arrives full-time this month
4. Soccer, Football, Volleyball and Cross Country competitions to root on fellow Pioneers
5. Great workouts with teammates you can count on!

Team artist follows his passion home to Santa Fe

2010-09-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

Men’s Swimming senior Lee Taylor stayed in Portland this summer to soak up the rays watching over our outdoor estate pool. When he wasn’t guarding, he took time to float local rivers with his friends and pursue his love of photography.

But, for a week in August, Lee returned to his hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He shares this sample of the photos he took on his visit.

Women’s Team Dinner Party

2010-09-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Claire had the women’s team over for dinner and socializing last Friday. Team bonding time as the swim season approaches!

Free Watermelon!

2010-09-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Athletics put on a watermelon feed outside Zehntbauer Swimming Pavilion today. It’s 80 degrees, it’s Friday and it’s free watermelon.

“My name is Phil. May I offer you a slice of delicious watermelon?”

BIG first day in Pioneer Sports for ’10-’11 season!

2010-09-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

By 5:30pm both men’s and women’s cross country had run to commanding wins over Linfield just across the river at Westmoreland Park. Volleyball was away for their season opener tonight and fell to Corban 3 sets to 1 (congrats to swimmer Kayla on her first kill in collegiate volleyball!).

And the soccer team! First home contest of the year for Pioneer Athletics and the first game on our new field turf. The Pios fought Warner Pacific down to the wire and secured the win on a PK in double overtime.

Welcome Class of 2014 !!

2010-08-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was Convocation on campus. Different schools call it different things, but it’s basically reverse-Graduation. Still with the marching and the speeches, but this time the only robes and silly hats are on the faculty.

The theme is one of remarkable futures and growth, but with a warm and welcoming mood as a great incoming class makes its home on our campus.

Every Convocation is followed by a huge dinner in the Glade (a.k.a the grassy knoll outside the swimming pool). This year’s picnic followed a Mexican theme and the meal was delicious. Anecdotal evidence says college kids love churros!

Football and Women’s Soccer share our pool

2010-08-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Aquatic workouts are no longer a secret. So far today Football, Women’s Soccer, and both Cross Country squads have put in pool time to take some pressure of their joints. Preseason training camps take their toll.

Plus, swimming makes people smile. At least when they are not trying to breathe our pool water...

Pioneer Swimmers Abroad: Rachel in Chile

2010-08-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Junior swimmer Rachel Wolf is gone but not forgotten this semester as she studies abroad in Chile. She left a month ago and is already having a spectacular experience.

Some of Rachel’s thoughts:

“After nearly a month in the vibrant city of Valparaíso I think I am finally able to carry on a decent conversation with my all-too-limited vocabulary. It kills me that I can't make witty and sarcastic comments in Spanish, so I am making a point of learning as much as fast as I can so the Chileans will see the other side of my personality too (can't you just imagine - Spanish sarcasm will be awesome!).”

For those of us who’ve come to know and love Rachel, you will understand what the Chileans are in for once she has full command of the language.

Rachel is enjoying learning Chilean history and literature in her classes, as well as some grammar and physics. Rachel has also given her host family the gift of her exceptional baking, a joy we will be without stateside until her return this winter. Her peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were apparently a huge hit at dinner last week.

This Just In... Campus in July.... Still green!

2010-07-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Memories of Graduation

2010-07-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

We’re past summer’s midway point for college students and thoughts turn solidly toward fall—a new school year, a new season. But, we stay connected to our just-graduated seniors as they embark on life’s next big adventures.

Our AD, Clark, led a toast to our senior athletes back in May at our annual gala the night before graduation outside Pamplim Sports Center.

I'm gonna say this is Scott making his way to across the stage. He took his time and savored every step of the way!

A Swim Coach’s Summer Vacation Wish List

2010-06-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

A great past season to reflect on and build from
Spectacular returning athletes to take us forward
Team captains with a passion for our program and their teammates
An incoming class of fun, excited and motivated freshmen who will bring so much to us as they learn what it means to be a Pio
Some quiet time to plan for another amazing season in Pioneer Swimming

Check, check, check, check... and check.

Campus is beautiful yet quiet, with a few of the team here in Portland this summer for work, summer school, or internships. A coach is free to plan for travel and training, prepare for swim camp, (relax?), and feel the excitement build for next year. Everything is in place for a magical season in 2010-‘11.

Alumni News: Owen Kenton from Tanzania

2010-05-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Owen, class of ’08, is several months into his Peace Corps placement in Tanzania. He shares these pictures of his home, his friends and his surroundings.

Owen's first day at his site.

A trip to Lushoto

Owen's house.

Good luck during finals!

2010-05-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Spring Term is coming to a close and this week Pioneer swimmers are wrapping up final exams, papers, projects, and presentations. Graduation is Sunday and this weekend is a celebration of what our seniors have accomplished and all that they have ahead of them.

April looks like summer at L&C

2010-04-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Warm weather and bright blue sky has campus in a happy vibe today. People are camped out on the grass studying, eating, dozing, or yoga-ing. It’s a great Northwest afternoon.

Rachel, Kim, Kaitlin, and Steven took their weekly Thursday lunch date to the grassy knoll outside the pool. Kim requested an immediate posting of their picture…

Campus Blossoming

2010-03-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is here and with it some splendid spring weather. Tuesday was warm and sunny with a gentle breeze through campus. This amazing tree is equidistant from the Frank Manor House, Templeton Student Center, and the chapel.

Remembering Fall: Stevie and Matt at a home football game

2010-03-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Funniest campus sighting of the day

2010-03-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

I just returned from an innocent stroll to Watzek Library to pick up an inter-library loan. Little did I know I’d be treated to a live show. As the student employee scanned my book for check-out, in walked a muscle bound man in tight T-shirt and long hair of the professional wrestling persuasion (think pay-per-view, not Greco-Roman). He wore a guitar and carried flowers and a mylar “Happy Birthday” balloon.

Needless to say, I stuck around to see what transpired.

Someone named Eileen was summoned from the depths of the library and the muscular gentleman presented her with flowers and a balloon from her husband for her 40th birthday. And a song: “Light My Fire”

By the second verse, most of the library had come to the lobby to check out the commotion (Watzek could generally be described as subdued). Students and employees lined doorways and the second-floor landing in time to join the serenade for a heartfelt “Happy Birthday.”

Pioneer Swimming (coach) goes to the Winter Olympics!

2010-03-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

A week after L&C’s Conference Championship and the best racing of the season, I travelled to Vancouver, B.C. with my wife and two friends to see winter sports on their greatest stage. We got to town in time to see the flame and explore downtown before watching Olympics on our hotel TV and turning in early for our big day the following morning.

Our Olympics day started with a 5:45am alarm. As a swim coach, I nailed this part. I had one slice of leftover pizza and one piece of homemade banana bread before we drove fifteen minutes to a makeshift bus depot. Many friendly folk in bright blue winter jackets directed us. There was free coffee and hot chocolate and my friend Chris and I each went for the chocolate. One young woman appeared to have the sole responsibility of smiling, holding a can of whipped cream upside down, and asking if you'd like some on your chocolate. I would like some, thank you.

Everyone is so friendly. The staff, the tourists, the volunteers. It's The Olympics... We boarded a charter bus for a two-hour drive to Whistler. Hundreds of buses were making this trip, all with the Vancouver 2010 logo and four Olympic critters in decal form on the sides. One critter is the Sasquatch. Another we learned was a rare, endangered Vancouver Island marmot and this made sense.

This left the one we had come to call "Skunk Kitten" and another that had a bear face and bird wings. We had no clever name for him. While waiting in the short line for the bus, my wife asked a young woman in the snazzy parka that screamed “I’m a volunteer” what the animals were. She explained that the hard-to-identify ones were actually native spirit-animals. Problem solved! Skunk Kitten was actually one creature on land and a whale in the water. Skunk Kitten is black and white and the thing we took for a tuft of black hair on her head did look just like an Orca’s dorsal fin. And the learning continued…

Our first event was the ski jump. Gigantic hill with people flying through the air, just like on TV. Or more like a gliding, controlled fall, I guess. This was actually the men’s Nordic combined, in which Team USA went on to win the silver medal.

From here we hustled about a kilometer through the forest to see the Women’s 4x6km Biathlon Relay. Skiing with guns and target shooting. In a relay. Amazing. I think the most impressive thing about the Olympics was the international energy. So many patriotic Swiss, Russians, Norwegians, Germans, Canadians, etc.

Big excitement! My wife had done some internet surfing so we’d have a clue about biathlon. After the event as we were leaving, she pointed and said, “That’s Sarah Studebaker!” We met Sarah and she signed our tickets and took photos with us. At one point she said, “I have fans!” This speaks to the anonymity an American professional winter biathlete maintains, as compared to some other nations.

Later that same day, back in Vancouver, we took in women’s curling. Simply fascinating. It was also striking how much more focus curling has globally than in the U.S. Crudely put, I would describe curling as shuffleboard on ice. In reality, it was pandemonium with four separate matches happening all at once, the banners waving, the Swiss singing and ringing cowbells on big leather belts, the Japanese chanting in unison, the Canadians going ballistic each time their country’s stone smacked another stone out of the circle, and the Americans looking around trying to figure the whole thing out. Glorious.

Our trip was magical. In swimming, the U.S. Nationals was star-studded and fun, but coming together with thousands of fans from across the globe all descending on a city for Olympic sport felt like a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Now I hope I can get tickets to London….

Best homework of the week

2010-03-02T16:34:00.001-08:00

Claire and Kim just burst into my office after psychology class to tell me about their homework. They were on their way to the fitness center to do some research. “Disguised” in gym clothes, they will observe unknowing patrons and count the number of times they self-focus attention looking in the wall-to-wall mirrors.

I implored them not to wear swim team paraphernalia for their creepy experiment involving staring at someone for ten straight minutes while tallying behavior.

The results are in—In this instance, guys looked at themselves more than twice as often as women. One guy looked at himself 31 times in 5 minutes. One woman looked at herself 10 times during a conversation with a friend.

Magical weekend, amazing people

2010-02-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

How to sum up our weekend…. Spectacular! We see a LOT of races and do a LOT of cheering through six sessions of a Conference Championship.

Claire got our night started off right with her Finals swim in the 1650. She undertook quite an unusual feat, breaking both our mile school record and our 1000 freestyle record on the same swim. She was six seconds under our 1000 record at that split and we knew she was on the way to a big swim. Later, Claire said she sensed things were going well during her race because one of her coaches was running along the side of the pool jumping up and down waving at her during the last few hundred yards. [Guilty as charged.] What a swim to begin the last night of Finals!

Josh followed-up with a lifetime best 1650 to keep our momentum going. And momentum is what we have as Cat jumped in for her 200 backstroke She made good on her top seed from the morning and absolutely ran away with the heat for the win!

We rolled along on the wings of these great swims right on to the end.

In the most highly contested placing of the meet, our women were holding a three-point lead over Whitman for 3rd going into the last relay. Describing the mood as electric as our relay team marched to the blocks would be an understatement. I very much had the sense everyone knew what was on the line. Our girls put together a phenomenal relay performance and locked in our team’s 3rd place finish in the Northwest Conference Championship.

After the meet, the men’s team serenaded Dave with a special rendition of “You’ve lost that loving feeling” a la Top Gun. Quite moving.

On the way home we swung by Dairy Queen to wave farewell to careful eating with the meet behind us. So many great ways to donate change to a good cause, and Josh and Rachel tried to find each one.

In a sly moment of inspiration, the team bought me an ice cream cake to celebrate as Women’s Coach of the Year. It was delicious. On the one hand it had worms on it, but on the other hand it was ice cream, so I don’t know if I should read into it. The writing was kind of a rush job and we enjoyed the “Congrates” the harried employee managed late on a Sunday night shift. Mostly I think it was a really nice gesture at the end of a long, long, fun-filled weekend. Also, I’ve eaten ice cream cake the last three nights after dinner. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Forward we boldly go

2010-02-14T00:22:00.000-08:00

Night two and no signs of slowing our pace. Rachael held onto her top spot in the backstroke with a commanding win in an even faster NCAA “B” cut than this morning. Here she is with co-finalists Kaitlin and Kallie after a major backstroke podium event for us.

These guys are a portrait of calm intensity.

Our women’s 200 Medley Relay sprinted to a commanding bronze medal place and our men’s 800 Freestyle Relay came in a surprise 5th overall. Josh lead off with a new lifetime best in his 200 freestyle. And Kim does a little thing we like to call representin'.

School Record before brunch…

2010-02-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

Caz gave us the most dominant swim of the day with her school record performance in the 100 backstroke and she’s the top seed going into tonight’s final in a couple hours. She’ll be joined by both Kallie and Kaitlin in the final heat, while Catherine is just behind in the consol. Our most impressive event so far for the women. Zach Hixson is our top-seeded guy at 4th in the 100 back. Steven Carreno made consols where he plans to move up, as well. Also earning second swims were Gail, Cat, Isaac, Noah, Susie, Walker and Steven Klutho.
We started our day with another round of the Marriott’s killer breakfast buffet before our trip to the pool. In our team meeting we celebrated the great swims we had yesterday and handed out the Pio Inspired Racer Award for each session. Rachel Levitsky for lighting up her 500 in the morning and Zac Hixson for his inspiring finals IM.
What’s great about recognizing an inspiring swim is that nearly every person might choose a different teammate as the one that inspired him or her. This is when you know you have a good thing going.

Hannah's 50 freestyle in consols

2010-02-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

We put up oodles of good swims today, but I find I can only muster the patience this time of night to upload a nice, short race like the 50. Here’s Hannah climbing two spots from prelims in her consolation final!

Points on the board!

2010-02-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

We had big races tonight in finals! Cat took silver in the 200 IM and was downright ecstatic about the results. I enjoyed her genuine delight over this first day of racing. Zac slashed another second off his lifetime best in the last 200 IM of his collegiate career. Josh and Sam posted new bests in their 500 swims. Hannah went one tenth faster, but bumped off two more competitors. Caz held onto her fourth place seed and is our second highest finisher so far.

Last night was Olive Garden so tonight we hit the Chipotle after finals. Chips and guacamole were on the house for our group. Who can turn down free chips? After dinner some of the team did some… window-dancing… while we waited for the bus to pull around. The fun never ends with this group.

I love to watch this team race!

2010-02-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

What an amazing first session! I love starting a meet off well. Our team has shown once again we are habitual fast starters, beginning with great 500s, a slew of good 200 IMs and wrapping up the morning with strong 50 freestyle performances.

Positive energy was in large supply this morning. I had flashes of last year’s euphoria as I watched our team riding the wave of their teammates’ great swims and rushing around the deck to hug them after their races.

The best kind of morning is the one where you have a hard time highlighting great performances because of the sheer volume of good swimming going on. Rachel “Legitsky” Levitsky lopped about twenty seconds off her lifetime best in the 500 while Abbie Hebein and Claudia Ramirez cut approximately ten seconds apiece off their best 500s.

Kira McGieson took 1.5 seconds off her best 50 (how is this done???) and Hannah Frank dropped nearly a second to land solidly in the consolation heat tonight. Kaitlin Smith shaved a full second off her 50 time, as well, and now is looking forward to turning over and racing her 100 and 200 backstrokes the next couple days.

Our top seeds for tonight are Rachael Cazden in the 50 freestyle, Claire Jordan in the 500 and Cat Menkel-Lawrence in the 200 IM. As the top seed, Cat is busily choosing the music her final heat will march out to. To the prelims victor go the musical spoils.

Our men were no less impressive. We put five guys in the consol heat of the 200 IM. Two seniors, a junior, a sophomore, and a freshman! Who to root for? Doesn’t matter as long as he’s a Pioneer.

Freshmen Josh Spegman and Sam Smith are each preparing for second swims after their great 500s this morning, too.

And with Finals come the relays. Tonight we blast into action with the 200 freestyle relay and wrap the night up with the 400 medley relay.

A season of great memories sees us off to the Championship

2010-02-11T21:30:00.001-08:00

Yesterday before our last workout in Zehntbauer everyone signed the Memory Board, many with favorite quotes and memories from the season so far.

The team called on Abbie for her artistic prowess to start the board off with the requisite “LC 2009-1010”.

And then the fun begins…! Class by class, seniors to freshmen.

With the Memory Board signed and the shortest practice of the year in the books, there’s one thing on our collective mind. Fast racing starts Friday morning and we are ready.

Living the Dream: Pio Swimming goes to the Championship

2010-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

This is it! Pioneer Swimming leaves Thursday afternoon for the Conference Championship. Our season has been full of energy and passion, hard work and so much love. Every year at this time I marvel at how distant last August seems when our freshmen arrived to campus and also how quickly time has passed.

We have gotten to this point with the help and hard work of so many people. Our athletes have challenged each other, honed in on their goals, and had a blast getting to this point. The coaches have spent long hours crafting line-ups and workouts, rooting for our swimmers, and trying to create every possible advantage for our team.

Our athletic training staff helps keep our athletes healthy while our academic support folks give our kids the tools and support they need to succeed in their classes. We saw swimmers make the Dean’s List and others write their senior theses. Teammates studied abroad on two other continents and returned in time for Winter Training to see us through to the Championship meet. We caught rays, grew strong, swam fast and became so close.

Now we take this team we’ve built proudly forward. Check back this weekend because big things are ahead.

No groundhogs in sight, but it looks like spring on campus

2010-02-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of morning practice a shaft of beautiful, golden sunlight shone through one of the pool doors and across the water. There was some splashing and rejoicing amongst the swimmers on their warm-down. It’s been a glorious day ever since!

What light by yonder swimming pool shines?

Who loves a senior? Everyone!

2010-01-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

Our last home swim meet of the 2009-2010 has come to pass and with it another amazing Senior Day. Signs and gifts and adulation filled our pool Friday night for our seniors. And this excitement led to an amazing team effort for our last dual meet of the season.

Late Friday night, after the excitement and the cleanup, I was talking with my wife about all the big moments. I soon realized there were so many highlight-able swims that our meet really was filled with one highlight after another. Our kids had lifetime bests, season bests, and came out ahead in so many close races to the finish.

Our men, fueled by senior excitement, won several races and looked great doing it. The women commanded the lead through the meet and it all came down to the last relay. This is really the pinnacle of swimming exhilaration. With races swum and applause ringing out, the women finished the meet with a 3-point victory and both squads will take heaps of confidence into our Championship meet in just under two weeks!

Kira: Age group swimmer 9 years old, going on 20

Susie is fired-up about Senior Day. And next year will be her turn…

Glow Practice

2010-01-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week Zac Hixson went on a lunch excursion with the coaches that ended up at 7-Eleven. He eschewed the Slurpee machine in favor of the trinket aisle.

Zac had a plan!

He brought oodles of glow sticks to workout for an impromptu techno swim party during warm-up.

Orange and black, meet orange and black: Pioneer women take on Division I Oregon State

2010-01-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the women’s team traveled south to Oregon State University for a dual meet. I love the chance to race fast, new competition and this was a great opportunity. This was also the end of a string of several meets for our team. With Winter Training barely in our rearview mirrors, our women swam tough, tired races and had fun traveling together.

Ten of our men caravanned down to Corvallis on their own to cheer on their teammates and this had a big impact on the noise level and the excitement during the meet. We usually train, travel and compete together, so it was natural for our men to want to support the women. I loved seeing them organize for the trip down to the meet.

Afterward, OSU joined our swimmers for pizza and chit-chat in what turned out to be a great opportunity to showcase our matching school colors.

Sights of Winter Training 2010

2010-01-12T22:10:00.000-08:00

Family time with Pio Swimming

2010-01-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

Each year on winter training we find ourselves treated to the magnificent hospitality of our swimmers’ families. Friday evening we descended on Shuichi’s family home where his parents generously stuffed us with carne asada, Korean barbecue, teriyaki chicken, homemade vegetable soup and more delicious fare.

With the possible exception of bunny rabbits, no one loves carrots and celery more than Josh Spegman.

Pio Swimming and the Matsumoto family after dinner

Shu’s little brother treated us to a piano performance and a classical piano tutorial.

Saturday after morning workout Kim’s mom delivered to the pool an array of spectacular donuts with milk and orange juice. Her second annual donut-laden visit to our Winter Training and just as well-received as last year! Swimmers and their coaches work so hard, it’s nice to for our hard to work be recognized with donuts.

Winter Training/Sweet Sunshine!

2010-01-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

The California Chapter: Kickoff Photo

We’re three workouts into our southern California trip and the Pios are soaking up the rays and powering through their sets. Two meets sit on the horizon before our return to Portland and the unfolding of second semester. With several more great workouts ahead of us this winter, it’s apparent our training is on track for great swims right into the Conference Championship.

Sometimes you feel like the ground just drops out from under you...

And then you realize that hard work eventually pays off!

Happy Holidays from Pioneer Swimming!

2009-12-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

This year the swim team decided on a combined-holiday event for the annual winter party and called it “Thanksmas.” This tough-to-score invite included a home cooked dinner and white elephant gift exchange to rival all others. Zac opened his home to the team for a great evening of laughter and good food just before Finals began.

Our swimmers are now spread around the globe with loved ones and I trust they fall asleep each night with visions of winter training (and our California trip!) dancing in their heads. We’ll be back together again soon!

November..... meet December!

2009-12-06T15:25:00.001-08:00

Invite over, calm returns to our pool

2009-11-24T17:41:00.000-08:00

Just in time for a well-earned, much-sought-after Thanksgiving break, the Northwest Invitational is behind us. Strong swimming and so much competition has left us both fired-up for the rest of our season and a little drained. There is nothing like a national holiday to put the pep back into your step.

Here you see Josh Spegman after his 7th place finals swim in the 200 Freestyle. Take my word for it, he is way more excited about his lifetime best swim than he lets on in this priceless candid. And in Rachael’s top five best things about championship swim meets has to be medals with centers that spin.

We’re two weeks from our last dual meet of the term, but first our thoughts turn to family or friends for the holiday this week.

Record-breaking night of finals!

2009-11-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

Our team’s swim, nay, the swim of the night, came with Rachael’s victory in the 100 yard freestyle. She lopped more time off her top-seeded swim from prelims and notched her first Lewis & Clark school record in the process. This coach believes she’s only scratched the surface of what she can accomplish in our sport.

Rachael continued the women’s team’s recent record-setting trend as she edged ahead of alumni Nikoya Collier’s mark set last season at the Conference Championship.

A solid night of racing all around. Great relay splits tonight and strong swims. Cat’s powerful 200 Backstroke earned her 2nd place overall and she now owns the second best time in the Northwest Conference this season.

Freshmen Josh and Sam both made second swims in their 500s and showed us the future of Pioneer distance swimming is bright.

Kira rightly described our team’s spirit as, “The cheering-est!” Let’s do it again tomorrow!

Day One prelims, in the book

2009-11-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

We return to the pool for Finals in less than two hours. This morning saw strong races, LOUD cheering, and one top seed going into our first night of finals. Below are a few pictures of last night’s preparation and how the team got ready for today.

Hosting the biggest meet of Fall semester!

2009-11-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

A short twelve hours from now nineteen collegiate swimming programs (nine men’s and ten women’s) descend on Zehntbauer Swimming Pavilion for the Northwest Invitational. Teams from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California will soon grace our pool and fast swimming is in our future.

Our new spectator seating may well reach capacity and the pool that lays quiet now will erupt with cheers, applause, and the thunderous swims of 262 student-athletes. Join us in person or in spirit from wherever you are with a rousing, “Go Pios!”

Turkeys crash swim workout, mayhem ensues

2009-11-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving-fever (if there is such a thing) has certainly hit the swim team. Teammates Hannah Frank and Rachel Wolf spent a goodly part of their Sunday last weekend making cookie-candy turkeys for Monday swim practice.

Said Hannah, “It was really fun in the beginning, putting them together, but by the time you get to number twenty….”

First Travel Meet!

2009-11-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Our first away meet of the season is always a great adventure. I have to say, I was excited to see there was so much positive energy and chatter on the charter bus that no one even wanted to put a movie on for the trip.

The first night saw us take on the rest of the Northwest Conference in the annual 8th Sprint Pentathlon. Swimmers compete in a 100 IM followed by 50s of each stroke, for a total combined time. Certainly a format that lends itself well to the prototypical sprinter, but I’ve long held the belief that every single athlete can benefit from focusing on the fine points of each swim, supporting his or her teammates, and reveling in the racing environment. And this is what I saw last weekend!

Times are kept by event and by cumulative overall time. Freshman Rachael Cazden, from Boulder, won the 50 Freestyle in a field of about 120 women. She finished the meet our highest placing swimmer at 5th overall. Way to go! Rachael also moonlights as a hair stylist to her teammates and other notable celebrities as seen below.

Freshman breaststroke/sprinter Shuichi Matsumoto (pictured below as a breaststroker and also farther down as The Fly) lapped up the sprint opportunities and found himself our highest placing male at 12th over the whole slate of events.

We saw motivating swims from so many kids and great enthusiasm across the board. It’s impossible not to feel like we are headed in a great direction.

As it was, the direction we headed after the Pentathlon at PLU was across town to UPS for the Relay meet. Another “non-standard” format—this one with unusual relays and a lot of excitement.

Among many awesome swims, our most spectacular race came in the Mixed 200 Free Relay. Rachael, Gail, Shuichi, and Noah blazed through the sprint co-ed relay to a 2nd place overall finish.

Let’s be honest, these meets sometimes stretch on and it’s good to have time for a laugh...

And so ends another week in Pioneer Swimming.

Alumni Swim Meet and Homecoming Weekend!

2009-10-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Pioneer swimmers from years past joined us in Zehntbauer today for the annual Alumni Swim Meet. We had swimmers from the 70’s laughing, racing and cheering alongside recent grads and current swimmers.

This meet could loosely be described as unorthodox, but this takes nothing away from the serious competition and hard-fought races.

Just before the meet, alums gathered to throw a cheer at the varsity and then throw some water in their direction, as well.

Relay power!

Victory dance..?

And to top it all off, the football team won their Homecoming game 57-35 this afternoon? And several swimmers joined the horde in rushing the field when the clock ran down.

Where in the world are Susie, Kim, Catherine and Lee?

2009-10-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

The short answer: Greece. Following text by Susie Trexler:

As you may have heard, we took a class this month called Attic Tragedy that involved reading (a LOT) and the performance of one play, The Suppliants (Aeschylus). This performance was last night. Lee took a leading role as the sole Greek, Pelasgus and the three of us are members of the chorus of Egyptian suppliants running away to Greece. The costume of the chorus was all black and I was seamstress and sewed our sashes which were of varying colors.

You can't see it very well but everyone we walked past on the way to school could: we all had Egyptian eye make-up.

An hour after the show found most of us in the library working on our papers (due today) and I can only imagine how that looked to anyone who didn't realize what was going on.

We're off to Lesbos tomorrow for four weeks; it's a rather large island off the coast of Turkey. Swimming? I hope so.

Study, swim and………. Fall out of a raft.

2009-09-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Freshman swimmer Kallie Smith is already leading raft trips with L&C’s College Outdoors program. With an Alaskan’s flair for adventure and the outdoors, she guides other fearless students on Oregon’s Deschutes River. And sometimes falls in. Our thanks to Kallie for supplying these photos and for coming back to us in one piece!

Early morning, good cause, cool shirts!

2009-09-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the swim team volunteered as course marshals for Portland’s Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For the fourth year in a row, the roadblocks were guarded and the race course made safe by our fine young men and women in what has become a September team tradition.

Beach Trip!

2009-09-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

Note their excitement over getting to pet the cows at Noah’s house!

PIO FAIR 2009 !

2009-09-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last Friday campus bloomed with annual autumn Pio Fair festivities. Greek food this year, dozens of campus clubs prospecting for new members and a football field full of games and inflatable bounce areas.

Many of our varsity sports teams put on activities for students and families. Since no one would let us dig a trench in the field to have swimming races (did anyone see that Myth Busters with Nathan Adrian?) the team decided the only reasonable option was a water balloon toss. This did not disappoint. People who were exceptionally drenched in this game: Dinari Foreman (Associate Men’s Basketball Coach), Shawna Feldt (Head Softball Coach), our own Matt Yelin, and so many more…

Team Welcome BBQ and then down to the business of education

2009-09-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday the team threw its annual welcome barbecue to bring everyone together for the first time this school year. Arms linked in a circle, important details were shared like names and hometowns, favorite events and favorite kinds of chairs. Hammocks, recliners, and beanbag chairs led the way, showing our swimmers know what they want when it comes to the business of sitting.

Monday rolled in this week and our student-athletes arose from those favorite chairs and jumped into the fall term. About fourteen swimmers descended on J.R. Howard Hall for a study session on the first night of the school year. One rookie surprised me by saying later, “That was great, we need to have more of those!” There were pairs working on French and on German. Some diving into reading assignments and you can see Matt, the team’s resident engineer, working an equation that covers the entire white board.

WELCOME CLASS of 2013 !

2009-08-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Our new freshmen are here! They’ve moved in, their rooms are in varying states of disarray, the posters and pictures from home are going up on the walls. College is the best! Some of our upperclassmen helped people move in this morning and have been making rounds meeting our new swimmers around the dorms.

Campus is abuzz. It’s a sight to see so many people on the threshold of a grand new experience. Another great year begins now!

Hot weather, new students, and strange pool sightings…

2009-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today we had some drains upgraded in both the indoor and outdoor pools. Here’s a great shot of a man with a long respirator hose and a weight belt at the bottom of our estate pool.

It’s 97 degrees right now and I predict today will be the hottest day we have before next summer. Lee has been busy guarding the outdoor pool this week. Luckily his New Mexican heritage makes him a sun worshipper.

Many of our new freshmen arrived to campus this week for Breakaway trips (some of our swimmers are going rafting, sea kayaking, or camping in the Columbia River Gorge). And many more will be here next week for NSO (orientation). Campus is buzzing and I can’t wait to welcome all our new swimmers and everyone returning for another great year!

Pio is famous! (or his ancestor is, at least)

2009-08-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on the top dog of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Our very own Pio lives on in his ancestor's image of Strength, Pride, and Endurance.

http://www.lclark.edu/news/story/?id=1748

World Champs have nothing on Portland... We're breaking records, too!

2009-07-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

The swimming might be hot in Rome right now, but everywhere in Portland, Oregon is hot. We’re approaching new record highs this week. Stores are sold out of fans, the 7-Eleven Slurpee machine is working overtime, and my cat does not like being soaked in the shower to cool off.

Get to the pool!

Remembrances of Winter Training '09

2009-07-24T21:41:00.001-07:00

Got an email from super-recent ’09 grad Sam Palmer today with this photo. I'll trust Sammy won't mind me quoting his email. He thought this photo showed, "how happy the men's team looks during January!! Can you believe the looks on the faces and it's the hardest part of the season?"

Thanks Sam. Your work ethic and attitude (and some serious sunshine) helped make this year's Winter Training one of the most productive and successful ever.

A great week in sports

2009-07-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Tour de France for breakfast is a great way to start a summer day. Maybe you’ve caught the cycling excitement for the first time or maybe you've rooted for years. Are you a Team Astana fan? Can Lance come back? Can he make it on the podium? Most of us should have learned not to count him out too early. Maybe you’re a fan of the green jersey race for the sprinters… These last few mountain stages have been ugly, with the little green jersey decal on the TV screen shown as “dropped” off the back of the peloton as the best climbers tear the field apart.

As if premiere cycle racing were not enough, I just got back from the Sectional Championship across town out at Mt. Hood. It’s a hot week here and today is a beautiful day for fast swimming! We’re lucky to see such big meets coming to Portland throughout the year since kids from much of the western US make the trip each season. Good luck to competitors at this and other Section meets this week!

A Pio Alumni Wedding

2009-07-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Swimmer Lindsay Nixon '09 married Scott Moyer '07, in Riverside, California on Sunday. The Mission Inn is a spectacular site and my wife and I had a great time.

While I’m sometimes tempted to measure a wedding by the food (delicious), my real measure of a wedding is how happy the newlywed couple looks. What a great day and I saw so much of Lindsay’s vibrant personality, which had been absent from campus since graduation in May.

Four great swimmers, one big hug.

Happy 4th of July from Pioneer Swimming

2009-07-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

Lindsay Nixon is Conference Woman of the Year Nominee for NCAA

2009-06-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Two months ago, Lindsay bid adieu to her undergraduate years at L&C and yet she is still making waves in collegiate athletics. You can read about this great honor in the article at this link: http://www.lcpioneers.com/sports/swimdive/2008-09/news/LindsayWOTY

We at the pool salute her and applaud her. Congrats Lindsay!

Drop-ins welcome!

2009-06-24T23:52:00.001-07:00

On this last full day of our first week of swim camp, two of our newly minted Pioneer Swimming graduates made appearances separately. Sarit Gluz, ’09, came by to visit on her way to work. She checked in with coaches, counselors and swimmers at the camp where she served as a counselor extraordinaire just last summer.

Less than an hour later, Anne Scheiman, ’09, visited after class. Anne just started the Masters in Teaching program in the School of Education this week and she LOVES her classes. Nothing could be better and I’m so proud of her. I know the year will pass in a flash and she’ll find her new career in elementary education.

Swim Camp ! !

2009-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and with it comes Swim Camp! Late June and early July on the Lewis & Clark campus see more than one hundred young swimmers here for fun, new techniques, excitement, and new friendships. Today is day two, the weather will be in the 70s, and campus is alive with the future of our sport.

Our college athletes give camp their all in serving as counselors and mentors to our campers. Last night after dinner they facilitated a campus tour, kickball, board games, movie time, and ping pong. With days like these, we all sleep well!

Zach Yeager is triathlon finalist!

2009-05-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day our very own Zach Yeager finished 3rd overall in the Heart of the Valley Triathlon. On a sunny Monday morning in Corvallis, OR, he covered the course in just over an hour, finishing in 1:05:57.

Congratulations Zach! More great races to come!

Record Board Ceremony

2009-05-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Last week, as school wound down and summer loomed near, we honored our successful season and put the new records up on our record board.

This has been a spectacular year! I have a feeling summer will pass in a flash and we’ll be on to an exciting new season........ (And more cake.)

Team Awards Banquet 2009

2009-04-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we held our annual team awards get-together. Last year we went downtown for fondue. This year we took a turn for the zany with a trip to Pump It Up for indoor inflatable bouncing.

A few fun facts about our team awards:

**12 women and 6 men received votes for Most Inspirational. I think this gets to the heart of what makes our team successful. Our swimmers look around and see they are surrounded by people who support them and inspire them.

**Over half the team received at least one vote from their teammates for Most Improved. This is a testament to how much attention our kids paid to the experiences of their teammates and the way everyone shared in our success.

Just like our pool training and racing, the team spared no time getting down to business. There was bouncing, sliding, relay racing, boxing, jousting and generally crashing around having fun.

Lindsay Nixon is Senior Career Award Winner!

2009-04-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

At the end of another 80-degree day in the Oregon sun, we made our way through a warm evening breeze to the Council Chamber for the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Dessert. Each year we get together to celebrate the accomplishments of all our athletes (before retiring to Stamm Hall for many desserts).

Lindsay Nixon was the night’s big winner, taking home a shiny trophy for the Pioneer Athletic Club Senior Career Award. In a swimming career that includes individual Northwest Conference titles in three of her four years and three individual and four relay school records, Lindsay has truly honored the Pioneer tradition.

Swimmers were nominated in many categories and our finalists included Annie Hay for the Rookie of the Year and Mandy Hamilton, who was the bronze medalist for the Scholar-Athlete Award. Joining Mandy on ther All-Academic Team were Matt Yelin and Zach Yeager.

10:48am and all is well

2009-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

A glorious morning on our way to 76 degrees today. One simply could not ask for a better Monday on campus!

Grace Gifford competes at Paralympic National Championship

2009-03-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Grace is competing this week at the US Paralympic Swimming Championship. She is racking up lifetime bests including tonight's 50 Freestyle and 400 Freestyle. Incidentally, a month ago at our Northwest Conference Championship, Grace crushed by ten seconds her own American record in the 200 Breaststroke for her classification.

Western Region Sectional Championship

2009-03-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

I spent the end of last week in Washington for the Sectional meet. Great swims by quite a few of our senior recruits and I got the chance to watch a lot of juniors, as well. Like meets across the rest of the country right now, an abundance of fast swimming.

It's always nice to talk with coaches about their swimmers, particularly those who are academically minded who will be a great fit for both our team and the vibrant learning environment at Lewis & Clark.

I also got to spend about 45-minutes talking physiology with a coach friend. Specifically anaerobic threshold training and the ramifications of training just above or just below this level. It's great to bounce ideas off of someone else and find out how they do things.

Live The Dream

2009-02-17T15:17:00.001-08:00

This has been the season's theme, its de facto motto, and, with the conclusion of our Conference Championship, its reality. The saying came into the year with Elspeth, a senior, and made its way onto a banner, the back of our T-shirts, and our team persona.

By the end of Finals on Sunday, we were looking at what may have been the best meet in team history and what was definitely the most exciting meet I’ve coached. Our swimmers saw dozens of lifetime best times and our women broke 11 school records—8 individual records spread between 6 women, plus both 200 and 400 medley relays and the 800 freestyle relay.

Our men’s team came together like I’ve never seen before. Team huddles, themed shirts, and a real passion for fast swimming that was stunning. We moved up in our seeding by sheer will as the guys crushed their old marks and climbed in the standings. Guys made Finals for the first time and lopped gobs of time off their swims.

Noah... AKA: Banner Boy #1

Lindsay's 200 IM victory

We have three women with provisional qualifying times for NCAA Nationals—Lindsay in both IMs, Koy in the 200 Free and Annie in the 100 Back. So, there’s a waiting game for them, but most of the squad now moves into the off-season. Everyone is excited and happy.

It’s hard to believe this part of our year is over, but I’m so proud of what our team accomplished and the way they carried themselves through this meet. Yesterday people flooded by my office and the pool to visit because it’s the most natural thing to do after class and before going back to the dorms or off to dinner. Quite a few took a dip in the pool to loosen up. For a coach, there is nothing better than seeing your team happy and motivated to keep moving forward and looking to next season. The fires are stoked and the fun continues.

Seniors and Coach:

Once more, just the ladies:

Be my Pioneer Valentine

2009-02-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

Zac surprised our women with roses for yesterday's session. In his defense, so did Matt Yelin (later that night) and Matt got one for his head coach, too...

The end approaches and the Pioneers show no signs of letting up. This morning the team crafted a new cheer to the tune of classic pep band song "Go Fight Win." Simply stunning.

Our men put up the third best 200 Medley Relay swim in school history and climbed the podium at the beginning of finals last night.

When you're in need of a little pick-me-up, let your teammates carry you through the tough times!

Our women's 800 Free Relay team and their proud, proud coach.

This shot catches a fraction of the excitement over the girls' recrod-smashing finish in the 800 Free Relay.