What has been your best swimming memory over the past four years?
There are so many great memories it’s hard to come up with just one! But I guess I would have to say my favorite memory has to be when we went as a team to Disney World in Florida my sophomore year and I got to meet Mickey Mouse. Also, all of our training trips over the years. And also, when my friends and I decided to name ourselves Team Swimmer.What has been your biggest accomplishment during your career at Lawrence?
My biggest accomplishment in my career at Lawrence was definitely the conference meet my sophomore year. I went all lifetime best times, swam in two relays and had a really great time.
What is your favorite stroke? Least favorite?
I don’t think I have a favorite stroke because I swim all four of them and I can’t pick one. My least favorite is definitely the breaststroke because it’s so awkward.
What does your pre-race warm up consist of?
I hate warming up. And cooling down. It’s probably the worst part about swimming. But to warm up I usually swim about 1,200 yards and do some starts of the blocks. Then I totally just sit around and listen to my iPod and cheer for everyone else until my actual race.
Do you have a favorite swim cap or pair of goggles that you always use? If so, is there any special significance?
Goggles and caps are hard to continuously use because they break so often. So my goggles change all the time, except for my hot pink goggle strap. My favorite cap is definitely my zebra-striped “Girls Rule” cap that I got from my secret swimmer this year. And I have way too many suits to choose from to have a favorite.What is your favorite offensive move? Why?
My favorite offensive move would be the up-and-under. This is called a counter move because I fake the shot to get the defender to jump and then I step under the jumping defender to get a wide-open layup. This move works very effectively because many post defenders are not disciplined enough to stay down and not try to block the shot. This is my favorite move because it gets me a very open look at the basket for an uncontested layup.
What has been your greatest accomplishment over the past four years?
The greatest accomplishment over the last four years would have to be winning the conference regular season and tournament championship and going to the NCAA tournament three times. This has been such a remarkable accomplishment; very few people can say they won three out of four championships.
Would you rather take a charge or block a shot? Why?
I would rather block a shot then take a charge. I know that this is fundamentally wrong and that I should try to take a charge — I hope my coaches don’t read this. I think I would rather block a shot because it is a huge motivator to the crowd and to the team.
If you could compare your playing style to that of a professional player, who would you say you are most like? Why?
This is a hard question. I guess I would have to compare my style of play to Karl Malone who played for the Utah Jazz. I would say this because Malone was a post-up forward/center that could also shoot the jump shot. My favorite part of Malone’s game that I have attempted to replicate is his ability to ball screen for the point guard and then get open for a layup or a jump shot. He was also a strong player and a good rebounder.
What is the best part about having such a close-knit team on and off the court?
The best parts about having such a close-knit team would be similar to those of having a close-knit family. We look at one another as brothers day-in and day-out. It is a great feeling knowing that when we are on the court there are 16 players plus four coaches behind each and every player regardless of what happens. Off the court the best thing about having such a great group of teammates is that there is great camaraderie and there is always someone to turn to in a time of need or a time of joy.