Swimmers Make Oberlin Athletic History

How's this for a hat trick?

On March 9 sophomore Celestine Mercer became the first All-American in Oberlin women's swimming and diving history. On March 10 she became the first Oberlin woman to place in the top six in the NCAA Division III National Swimming and Diving Championships. And on March 18 junior John Limouze became the men's team's third national champion ever.

The NCAA National Championships are an extravagant affair that occupy competing athletes from Tuesday until Sunday. Mercer made the first trip down to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for her second trip to Nationals in as many years.

Takes one to tango: Mercer was the only Yeowomen at nationals, but represented the team with pride taking home All-American honors. (photo by Dick Michaels)

With swimmers from Division III swimming powerhouses from around the country, Oberlin's lone representative was in elite company. And though accompanied by her two coaches, her fan base was thin. Mercer's loyal teammates, plagued by faulty transportation, were unable to follow her to Atlanta. Fortunately, Mercer was adopted by the members of eventual NCAA champion Kenyon's team, who cheered with her and for her when her Oberlin supporters could not.

After two days of travel and restful preparation, Mercer stepped up to the blocks on Thursday for her first event. In the preliminary heat of the 50-yard freestyle, Mercer smoked to the far wall in 24.53 seconds to break her own Oberlin Varsity record and propel herself into the finals. The final race for each event takes only the top 16 swimmers from the preliminaries. These top 16 places are automatically awarded All-American honors.

In the finals, Mercer slipped off the start and finished 16th but remained the first Oberlin female All-American. Teammate sophomore Rahula Strohl could have cared less about the eventual finish. "I was sad that I couldn't make it down there to see Celeste swim but even without her teammates she did incredible," she said. "That girl is all that. Oberlin's first swimming female All American, that's quite an honor."

On Friday Mercer got to swim in her premier event, the 100 yard backstroke. This was where all the 6:30 a.m. practices, the endless hours in the pool and the hard work would finally pay off. Making the finals again, she stormed her way through the field to finish sixth in the nation. In addition to now being a two-time All-American, her finish in the 100 backstroke netted a wooden plaque to commemorate her accomplishment. At Nationals only the top 6 finishers receive such trophies, an honor fondly referred to as "getting wood."

On top of the world: John Limouze became only the third swimmer in Oberlin men's swimming history to win his event at NCAA nationals. (photo by Dick Michaels)

"I was definitely happy with where I placed in the pack," said Mercer. "It was fun to be at a fast pool with a bunch of really fast swimmers. Being an All American is a very neat honor." Words cannot fully highlight the accomplishments of Mercer's season.

A week after Mercer's historic swims, junior John Limouze made a trip of his own to the Men's National Championships as a highly seeded contender is his specialty, the 200 butterfly. This was Limouze's third straight trip to Nationals, after placing fifth his freshman year and missing second place last year by two-tenths of a second.

The fly is the most difficult stroke in a swimmer's arsenal. It puts an incredible amount of strain on the shoulders and the 200 fly requires an extraordinary amount of endurance. Limouze mentioned how nervous he was before the race since he just didn't know whether his body was up to the task at this point of the season. But he put all that aside as he stepped up to the blocks on Saturday morning and delivered a runaway performance that earned him the top seed in the evening's finals.

"When he qualified first the next day with 1:51.05, the second fastest time of his life, we were sure that he had a shot for the title that night," said head coach Richard Michaels.

That night was when the real drama occurred. The field included a number of very talented competitors including the swimmer who had beaten Limouze last year. The stage was set; it was time to perform or go home. Several friends and teammates had made the 12 hour trip down to Atlanta just for these two minutes. The gun went off and Limouze began what will be remembered by those who saw it as one of the most incredible races they'd ever witnessed.

The 200 takes eight lengths of the pool. After two laps, Limouze was in fourth. After four laps, he was dead last. But Nationals is where champions are separated from the rest. Limouze was swimming his style of race, keeping a consistent pace while others tired themselves out. After four laps he began to kick hard, and the resounding boom as his legs pounded the water could be heard throughout the natatorium. The other swimmers were fading, and by lap six he was in third place and closing fast.

One of his Oberlin supporters characterizes the feelings of his coaches and teammates watching in the stands. "I was worried that he had let himself get too far behind and I yelled myself hoarse on the third 50," said junior Chris Dudley. "When it looked like he might win, I was jumping up and down as high as I could."

And win he did. After the last turn it was down to three swimmers. As they raced to the wall it was a battle of who had the will and the power left to finish the race. Limouze prevailed, touching first in 1:50.47, eleven hundredths of a second ahead of second place.

"I enjoyed myself," said Limouze. "I enjoyed having a crowd to perform for and I'm glad that I didn't let them down. It's a long way to Atlanta to see someone swim...but fortunately I swam well and now I have something to cherish for the rest of my life."

Oberlin Athletics and national champions aren't often paired in the minds of many Oberlin students, yet last month two Oberlin athletes proved their ability to compete and win on the national level. Mercer and Limouze might look like average students. You have probably passed them in Stevenson or King without a second thought. But these student athletes deserve not only a second thought but a collective round of applause. In the 1999-2000 season these two individuals have stepped up their determination, their desire and their drive to be champions.

Now Oberlin has two champions to be proud of. It is an honor for the school and for all those who were a part of the event. As assistant coach Clara Stemwedel put it, "There is something special about having All Americans and a National Champion, about being part of that. It means a lot to everyone on the team, everyone who was a part of those great swims."

What else is there to say except congratulations Celeste, congratulations John. We are all proud of you.

Celestine swam celestially, and Big John hit the big time at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving championships.

And what fun it was.

Celeste and John trained hard through the NCAC Conference meet in anticipation of Nationals. Both qualified in their best events, the 100 back and 200 fly respectively, at the Miami University Invitational in December.

Both began to taper, or rest, just two weeks after Conference.

With the taper came grumbling and worries from swimmers and coaches alike: Will we taper well? Will we taper them well? Some coaches claim that tapering is scientific, that if a particular procedure is followed, then fast swimming will be the result. Others, those of us who are pragmatists, know that the "scientific" taper is really a crapshoot. The amount of rest might be just right, not enough or too much depending on an infinite number of variables, the biggest of which is the swimmer's mind

Bodies are much easier to take care of than minds during taper. But Celeste and John made it through the trepidation of taper and arrived at their meets ready to swim. At times nerves seemed to get the better of the swimmers, coaches, teammates, and fans, all of whom make a swim meet among the most electric and exciting (and underrated) athletic contests around.

I would like to share some of that excitement.

Celeste

Head coach Dick Michaels, Celeste and myself arrived in Atlanta on Tuesday, March 7th. The meet started Thursday, so we relaxed and reveled in the early Atlanta spring for a day or so. Wednesday we spent at Stone Mountain affording us a chance to let go of the aforementioned trepidation of taper. Yet the first day of the meet loomed. Thoughts of Thursday led to butterflies in my stomach and the constant, silent plea, Please let her be fast, Please let her be fast.

Thursday came, and Celeste's event, the 50 freestyle, was the final event of the morning preliminaries. We spent the morning cheering for the Kenyon Ladies who had graciously invited Celeste and her coaches to sit with them in the best on-deck seats in the house.

Celeste swam in the last heat. The earlier heats were fast and so the tension was building to see who would make it into the finals to be swum that night. By the time the last heat was called up to the blocks, I was so nervous I could hardly stand. The whistle blew. Quiet settled. The starter uttered the familiar words, "Take your mark..." and interminable seconds passed before the horn sounded and the crowd roared to life again. Celeste was out fast and swam a good race. By the time I caught my breath, the race was over. She touched the wall in 24.53 seconds, a new school and personal record, good enough to get her into a three way tie for fourteenth place and to earn her a spot in the finals.

The 50 was not Celeste's biggest race or her best finish, but for me, it was the most exciting race of the weekend because it was the race upon which the season seemed to hinge. All of those morning practices, the pain of Florida training, the highs and lows of the day in day out grind, everything. The 50 assuaged our deepest fears of a blown taper and opened the door to a great meet. We had no way to know how she would do, and to see her swim fast, to see her swim a best time, to see her make top 16 and therefore secure for herself All-American honors, was a highlight of the meet.

John

After Celeste, things boded well for John's meet. Tuesday came around again, and we found ourselves back in Atlanta with a day of r and r ahead of us. The most crucial aspect of John's day before the meet was a haircut. He needed the always vital ritual haircut. Without the haircut, there could be no triumph. Fortunately, we found a Supercuts.

John swam the 50 freestyle on Thursday, his get-in-the-meet swim without high expectations. On Friday, he swam the 100 fly, an event we all took a little more seriously. When he touched the wall in a sluggish 52.69, more than half a second slower than last year, the familiar taper trepidation closed in upon us. Yet hope remained, as John's taper had been following a good day/bad day/good day pattern. If the pattern held, then Saturday was to be good.

Saturday dawned, and John's fans, those brave and dedicated souls who took off the weekend before midterms to see John swim, arrived that morning. The arrival of the fans psyched John up, and he was ready to swim when his heat was called to the blocks. Today's the day, I thought.

The 200 butterfly. Eight lengths of the pool, a grueling, gutsy race. John stepped onto the blocks, Big John of lore, known to be the dark horse, the come-from-behind guy who always makes the race interesting. The whistle blew, the quiet fell and seconds later they were off. John looked good, he looked strong and in control. Although he was not in the lead, we knew he was planning a move at some point. John finished hard and touched the wall in 1:51.05, his fastest morning swim ever. The fans, all seven of us, went nuts, cheering at the top of our lungs, disturbing, or perhaps inspiring, the Kenyon parents below us.

Two heats left to swim. How would John finish? Where would he be swimming at night? Before we knew it, the last heat had swum, and John was in first, the top seed for the evening's final! Winning became a real possibility.

Saturday's evening session went by quickly. The pool was fast, records were dropping, the air was electric. We couldn't wait for the 200 fly, the last individual event of the meet. Finally the swimmers marched out to the blocks. Nobody could deny that John was the best dressed guy on deck (wearing polyester basketball warm-ups, acquired at the athletic department garage sale), but how would he swim? As the top seed, the race was his to win or his to lose.

Go John Go! We dug in and started cheering. The whistle, the quiet fell, "Take your mark...", and then they were off. John dove in, kicked hard, came up swimming strong, but he was last at the 25. Last at the 50. Fifth at the 100! OH GOD. It was okay, really, we said to ourselves. We knew he had a move, although by the time he began to make it hysteria had set in and instead of writing down the splits I was screaming and jumping up and down like a crazy person. Oh my God, here it comes!, we screamed. He started to kick. We heard John's kick above the din of crowd. Fourth, third, second, he was closing in on the leader! He was winning with one length to go! Half a length to go, he could do it! GO JOHN! Wait, who was that guy in lane three coming up so fast? Two strokes left....Had he done it? The race was over, and nobody was breathing. It took two seconds for the times to come up on board, and all any of us saw was the number beside lane four. We saw the number and felt the joy....

He won.

Clara Stemwedel is the assistant coach for the swimming and diving teams.