WEEKENDER BLOG

After being a competitive swimmer for twelve years of my life I must say that I am super excited about the BLAST Summer Sizzler this weekend! However, over my twelve years as a swimmer I came to realize that not everyone has the same excitment and passion for swimming that I do. Many times I got this reaction when inviting people to my meets, “Swimming? So I just watch you swim back and forth?…ugh”, although it might not seem that exciting here are my top 5 reasons why you should attend the meet this weekend.

1. Swimming in Cedar Falls is a BIG DEAL! I know that swimming is not talked about a lot but this community is home to many swimming legends on the state level and national level whether it be athletes, coaches, officials, or families. Here is a breakdown of some of the legendary coaches that call Cedar Falls Home (If you live in Cedar Falls, I’m sure you know at least one person who has swam for at least one of these coaches):

• High School: Coach Dick Marcussen has been the Cedar Falls High School Swimming and Diving coach for the last 42 years and has created the most well known dynasty in the state. He has a combined (women and men) 12 state championships, 8 runner up titles, 34 All-American Swimmers, numerous coach of the year awards for conference, district, and state, and the most impressive award in 2002 he was named the National Federation Coach of the Year.
• College: Coach Glen Henry is nationally known for the dynasty he built at the University of Northern Iowa as the Head Women’s and Men’s Swimming and Diving Coach from 1966 to 1981. He won 10 conference championships, had 129 individual conference championships, and yet again created a dynasty in the swimming world. If you haven’t heard about UNI Swimming and Diving recently that is ok, because Doug Humphrey was recently named the new UNI Women’s Swimming and Diving coach and is ready to take the team to a new level.
• Club: Coach Nick Lakin is another incredible swim coach in the Cedar Valley, he has been the head coach at BLAST for the last ten years, has won State and Sectional level meets, named coach of the year, and has produced at least a dozen Division 1 athletes in his 10 years.

2. The BLAST Summer Sizzler will get you warmed up for the 2012 Olympics in London!

3. The zero entry and lazy river at The Falls are still open to the public during hte meet from noon to 8:30pm. Enjoy being a spectator and have fun in the pool!

4. You can cheer at the meet which will keep your vocal cords fresh and ready for the upcoming 2012 UNI Athletic season!

5. You will see old friends or make new ones!

Hopefully my list got you excited about the meet! Although it started yesterday there are three more days to catch the action! It is being held at The Falls Aquatic Center. For more information and a timeline click here.

Written by Chelsea Hartman

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