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Different strokes: Through the eyes of athletes
Arbiter Staff
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Your adrenaline really begins to pump as your fingers clench the starting block. You wait anxiously for the buzzer. It goes off and then suddenly you’re in the water, moving against the resistance of your every movement. On either lane is another swimmer vying for the same title as you, to be first. In competitive swimming even a millisecond determines the winner.
Competitive swimming has undergone an evolution in the past century, specifically in the four different strokes used within competitive swimming. With roots as far back as ancient civilization, swimming has many different types of strokes, but only four are valid when competing. According to USA Swimming, only the breaststroke and a type of sidestroke were used when competitive swimming started in London pools around 1837. In 1902 the sidestroke had become a more efficient front crawl, now known as freestyle, which brought consistently faster records since its installment in competitive swimming.
The freestyle with Jennifer Cahill
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The freestyle stroke is a favorite among many swimmers for its ability to provide fast times and has developed considerable competition at all levels. Boise State swim team member, Jennifer Cahill, is a freshman and just completed her first season on the team. Swimming the mile, the 500-yard freestyle and 1,000-yard freestyle, Cahill is a dominant force in distance swimming.
“I prefer freestyle because I always do it when swimming,” Cahill said.
Swimming the 1,000-yard freestyle is her favorite event. While in San Diego, Calif. over winter break, Cahill achieved a lifetime best in the event with a time of 10:18.16. Swimming remains an important aspect of her life as well as her family.
“My grandparents were some of the most influential people in my life,” she said.
From Wailuku, Hawaii, Cahill has transitioned well to the team and achieved Western Athletic Conference swimmer of the week during the first week of Nov. 2009.
“Swimming for BSU was a lot harder, but team wise it hasn’t changed,” Cahill said. “I get along with everybody.”
Back home Cahill enjoyed surfing, now in Idaho she is hanging out with friends and training for the swim team. Cahill also enjoys writing poetry.
“I like to write about whatever I’m feeling. It makes me feel better,” she said.
Currently undeclared, Cahill is interested in going into business management; specifically the travel industry or sports medicine.
The backstroke with Morgan McLain
The backstroke hasn’t changed much throughout the years and has maintained its ability to provide fast times, as well
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as being the only stroke which can be started in the water for competition.
Sophomore Morgan McLain has been swimming since she was 8-years-old and though she liked to swim everything, she really began to excel in the backstroke events.
“(BSU coaches) Kristin (Hill) and Justin (Brosseau) saw how I cut two seconds in the 100 back right off the bat and saw potential,” McLain said. “I think I was expecting to swim sprint freestyle. I was well rounded in all the strokes.”
McLain competes in both the 200 and 100 backstroke as well as the 200 individual medley (IM), but prefers the 200 backstroke the most.
“There is a lot of strategy to it. It’s also really good to see every time and to see what I can do better,” McClain said.
Being on Boise State’s swim team is “like a family,” according to McClain.
“All these girls are like my sisters. I like being part of a big team that shares a goal,” she said.
Apart from swimming, McLain enjoys to relax and watch movies, especially comedies. She also enjoys reading biographies and has a knack for sleeping a lot.
McLain is also a team record holder in the 200 medley relay. Majoring in health science, McLain aims to go into nutrition.
“I’ve always had a passion, and after taking a class here I knew I wanted to do it,” she said.
The breaststroke with Emily Irvine
The breaststroke is one of the slower strokes in competitive swimming but still a staple within competitions. According to USA Swimming it was also the only stroke that had a specific style until the 1950s.
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Sophomore Emily Irvin’s best stroke has been the breaststroke and soon grew to be a favorite. Irvin competes in the 100 and 200 breaststroke as well as the 200 IM, but her favorite is the 500 free.
“I never swim it so when I do it is fun,” Irvin said.
Being on the BSU swim team has been helpful in her transition to college life.
“It’s hard but it is also a lot of fun,” Irvin said. “Coming to college is a lot easier because the team is like a family away from home.”
Irvin’s favorite swim was at the 2009 WAC Championships where she swam a 1:03.57 in the 100 breaststroke.
Out of the pool, Irvin likes to listen to new and obscure music.
“It was easier in L.A. when I could go to a lot of different concerts. The Counting Crows are my favorite band,” she said.
With such demands of swimming and life in general, Irvin says that the most influential and inspirational person in her life is her mom.
“We are so much alike, and she works so hard at everything she does,” Irvin said.
A business management major and a math minor, Irvin would like to be an actuary for the American Academy of Actuaries.
“That is my dream job,” she said.
The butterfly with Chelsea Lopus
The butterfly — commonly known as the fly — was not officially recognized until 1953 as its own stroke for a competition due to the “violation” of the use of a dolphin-kick. As a modified version of the breaststroke, the butterfly is faster than the breaststroke. Twenty years later it became a legal stroke in competitive swimming.
For senior Chelsea Lopus, the butterfly is her favorite stroke.
“I used to like backstroke in high school,” Lopus said. “In college I got put into the fly. There is a smaller group of
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swimmers in the fly, so it’s cool to be a fly person.”
Lopus initially attended Bowling Green University in Ohio. She transferred to Boise State her junior year.
“I followed my high school swim coach at Bowling Green, but when he left I just didn’t like the environment as much,” Lopus said. “Swimming for Boise State is awesome, everyone is so close and the coaches are great. It rekindled my whole relationship with swimming.”
Lopus has four team relay records; each of which were huge accomplishments for the team. Her most memorable swim was the 200 fly at the 2009 WAC Championships.
“I remember everything about that race,” Lopus said.
Staying positive is important to Lopus and is an integral part to swimming.
“Outside of the pool, if you don’t have a positive attitude, your swimming could be completely up and down,” she said.
As a senior, Lopus will be graduating with a degree in communications and would like to work as an athletic advisor for the compliance department in athletics.