2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Championship Performance-Male
by Damion Dennis March 22-24, 2012, Federal Way, WA
The changing of the college season is much like the beginning of a new story. It will have a different setting, different characters and new heroes emerging. As many tales go, there is a non-assuming almost forgotten individual who is called upon to embark on an adventure. On their journey, they enter into a world where they are forced to overcome adversities and face an epic battle
where the true essence of a hero emerges. The defending National Champion Cal Bears were that forgotten team this year. They were overlooked in nearly every NCAA preview and Season Outlook and were given little hope of defending their title. In the fall, they were a young team filled with innocent faces who were about to embark on a heroic journey, reminiscent of a young Luke Skywalker. After graduating a very talented Senior Class, the young Bears were faced with the burden of being National Champions. As they traveled on their path throughout the regular season, they were tested and would have to overcome adversity twice, suffering loses to conference
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
foes. The Pac 12 Championships soon followed, where the embattled Bears engaged in a dogfight losing a tight battle in the last day. Like Luke in The Empire Strikes Back, they were forced to retreat and regroup. But as every hero does, they stayed the course and started to develop an internal identity that few on the outside saw. ....continued on page ___
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