Thursday, April 17, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Three swimmers hope for Beijing ’08, via Nebraska continued from page 12 think about it a little in high school, but I was just joking around with my friends.” Kelly, on the other hand, had two goals at the beginning of the season: make the NCAA Swimming Championships and the Olympic trials. Though none of these elite swimmers made the cut for the NCAA championships — a meet Kelly says is faster than the Olympic trials because of international influence — they are representing Brown at the Olympic trials. Only two swimmers from each event at the national trials will make it to the Olympics. Without a single 50-meter pool in the area to swim in — let alone such a pool on campus — the men’s swimming team planned to have a different kind of season. Prior to qualifying, Kelly and several others had not competed in a 50-meter pool this year. “The week before the meet, I was talking to my coaches for techniques” specific to 50-meter pools, Kelly said. “Every little thing counts, from the entry to the first stroke.” During the Tuesday morning practices, “we had the place to ourselves,” Alexander said. “We had the space to push each other without people being in the way and slowing us down in our individual workouts.” Ricketts said he enjoyed the morning workouts because they drew the teammates together. “It was fun, those practices — I would not have made it through half of them without my teammates.” The U.S. Olympic trials will likely yield some of the fastest times in the world from some of the best swimmers. Of an average of 100 swimmers in each event, only two will go on to the Olympics. Kelly said his goal is to make the top 16, where he would probably swim in the same heat with Michael Phelps, winner of six gold
medals at the 2004 Olympics. Kelly said he’s excited to be on the pool deck seeing swimming greats compete, but he also hopes to do well. “If Michael Phelps is right next to me, I would be psyched up, not psyched out,” Kelly said. Ricketts could be swimming against Phelps as well. When asked about the potential of the matchup, he said, “Michael Phelps should be excited to be swimming with me. I don’t like to think about how good the swimmers I’m swimming against are. I’m there too — I’m just as good.” Each swimmer is competing outside the collegiate realm and will consequently have to pay for his own trips and competitions. Although they are technically competing as individuals, they are still wearing their Brown swim caps and sporting their Brown gear. Assistant Coach Craig Nisgor recruited at the Canadian Trials, so he was also able to watch and support Alexander through the process. “Whenever you have Brown attire on, it helps out (the recruiting),” Nigsor said. Alexander said he hopes recruiting in Canada improves over the next couple of years for the program. This year’s team is one of the most nationally competitive in the history of the Brown program. The program has grown from 13 swimmers in 2004, according to Volosin, to 21 this year, 15 of whom competed in Maryland for a spot at the Olympic trials. Kelly said he found motivation in an unlikely source over the summer — while running on a treadmill. “While I ran, I watched some television,” Kelly said. “A frequent advertisement of the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Michael Phelps kept me going. It was plastered on my mind for the rest of the summer and on into training with my teammates.”
After losing doubleheader, baseball defeats UConn continued from page 12 pitches and a dropped third strike that allowed the batter to reach base and a run to score. At the end of the sixth, the Bears held a commanding 12-4 lead. In the top of the seventh, the Huskies cut into the lead. With runners on first and second and one out, Papenhause made his second error of the game when a ground ball skipped by him, allowing a run to score. Later in the play, left fielder Brian Kelaher ’08 made a wild throw in to third base, allowing another run. The next hitter laced an RBI double to left field, making the score 12-7. Peter Moskal ’08 came on in relief and, with great command of his breaking pitches, got two consecutive strikeouts to
hold the lead. In the eighth inning, with runners at the corners, a wild throw back to the pitcher from catcher Matt Colantonio ’11 gave UConn another run, but Punal’s two-run double in the bottom of the inning provided some insurance runs for Bruno. Tri-captain Rob Hallberg ’08 came in to pitch the ninth, giving up a two-run homer but nothing more, securing a 14-10 win for Brown. Brown will resume Ivy League competition with a four-game series at Harvard this weekend, but unfortunately, they will have to play without tri-captain left fielder Ryan Murphy ’08, who will likely miss the remainder of his senior season because of a stress fracture in his foot.
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