First-year Limouze swims fifth place at nationals

Swimmer earns national recognition in St. Louis

Over Spring Break, while other students were crowding beaches and conquering mountains, first-year John Limouze was competing in one of the biggest meets of his life.

Limouze competed from March 19-21 at the Division III Nationals at Washington University, St. Louis. Limouze placed fifth in the 200-yard butterfly to earn a wooden plaque: the top six swimmers each receive one.

"It's the first time I ever got wood swimming the 200-yard butterfly," Limouze said.

Limouze swam in three events over the weekend, but the 200-yard butterfly was the only event he placed in. Limouze entered the meet seeded sixth and swam a 1:52.21 to earn a fourth seed in the Finals. There Limouze earned fifth with a time of 1:52.31. Limouze qualified for Nationals back in December and began gearing up for the meet with the strongest two months of swimming in his life.

"I was swimming out of my mind in January and February," Limouze said.

Limouze spent his last month of swimming pretty much on his own. He was Oberlin's only entrant in the meet and the first Oberlin Swimmer to qualify since junior Matt Soellner qualified two years ago.

On March 19, Limouze had reservations about his first event, the 200-yard individual medley.

"I was down behind the blocks before the race. I didn't know how many heats there were and had to rush on the blocks."

As he raced to put on his goggles, they snapped in half. A fellow swimmer tossed him a pair of goggles but they were really big and almost slipped off.

"It got my adrenaline going, but I had a bad race. I swam third to last and forgot to sprint."

The next day, Limouze competed in the 400-yard individual medley, a better event for him, but he didn't make it past the preliminaries.

The following morning, he won his heat of the 200-yard butterfly and earned a fourth seed in the finals.

"I was pretty tired," Limouze said. "My 200-yard butterfly is always there. I knew I'd be on. Anything mediocre gets me excited to swim the 200-yard butterfly."

"I had a phenomenal season. I can't be disappointed with what I had hoped for," Limouze said. "I can't say I couldn't have done better."

To prepare for the race, Limouze tried to set up an early bedtime.

Limouze didn't always follow up on it, but he wasn't concerned. Before the YMCA-National Championship back in August, he set up a mandatory bedtime and cut down on his work.

"I got so worked up for my meet, I started swimming like crap," Limouze said. "I thought too much about swimming fast."

According to Limouze it is hard to be unprepared for a big race. "When I start tapering I have all this excessive energy, all this energy from not swimming seven miles a day. I'm uptight and bouncing off the walls, focusing on staying mellow. It's hard to explain, except the feelings I get with butterflies in my stomach. I try to not let it get the best of me."

Before Limouze would step up on the blocks he said, "I remember not to do anything stupid. If everything is right my mind is blank."

In high school, when Limouze was about to swim the 200-yard fly. His friends would referred to him as the 'moose' and yelled it before the race.

Once before a big race, Limouze said, "I was listening for someone to say it, but no one said it until after the starter said take your marks. I was listening to the crowd cheering and didn't hear the sound of the gun. I was on the blocks when everyone else was in the water. I got sixth out of eight."

"I stopped worrying about what other people say," Limouze said. "I joke about it with other people, but I got my ass kicked. It's never fun getting your ass kicked. Ever since then, I've been pretty focused."

Limouze explained why he is so passionate about swimming.

"Swimming is what I do it's probably more important to me than school," Limouze said. "It takes up a disproportionate amount of my life. It's so important that I do well. Not so much for the accolades, the All-American honors but to be happy with myself. It doesn't feel like dedication. It isn't like I'd consider not doing it. I cannot remember ever not swimming, ever."

Limouze doesn't attribute his success to working the hardest. "There's harder workers on the team, people who take more sacrifices," Limouze said. "People who cut out partying."

"It is almost scary," junior Jeremy Steinhauer said. "He gets gruff because he is so intense about his race."

According to Limouze he could have possibly finished fourth, but knew that he couldn't be in the top three.

Next year is going to be a slower year in the 200-yard butterfly and as 200-yard butterflier Limouze should move higher up the podium.

"I like winning a lot," Limouze said. "I do what it takes."

(photo courtesy S.I.D.)