Wayne State University's Alumni Swimming and Diving Meet 2013

Every October, Wayne State University hosts the Alumni Swimming and Diving meet to kick off the new season.  It's always been a fun meet where swimmers of bygone seasons get to come back and try to show they've still got a few yards in 'em.  And.... then they feel it miserably for the next week in every muscle in their bodies.

No matter what, the alumni always win even if the officials must turn a blind eye and pretend they didn't see the alumni dive into the water a good 30 seconds before the swimmers.   Or jump in and hold the swimmers back from finishing.  Or swim half a length and turn around to come back for a world record time.

The evening always ends with the alumni gathering for some much needed beer and time to catch up on everyone's now adult lives. 

My drive from Lansing to Detroit offered some beautiful fall colors and a few folks enjoying a hot air balloon ride in the crisp air :)

I haven't been able to attend the meet in years and just happened to be flying into Detroit for some weddings on the day of the meet.  Lucky for me.... I "forgot" a swim suit and stood as a happy spectator catching up with old teammates, roommates, and parents I hadn't seen in several years. 

Both the Men and Women's teams have excelled into dominant forces; most of the current athletes are probably unaware of the teams' humble beginnings.  My freshman season on the team, the women had around 16 athletes and the men had 11 compared to 28 women and 29 men on the team now.  The Women's team hadn't won a Conference Championship in years while the men had some more success.  

Now, the team is a raging force not only in the GLIAC but also in Division II; with several conference championships, a couple of national titles, and a whole laundry list of All-Americans, these teams have grown significantly in a very short amount of time.  

Old teammates and toommates, Lindsey and Cassie with diving coach Kelly and myself :)

WSU's coaching staff can be thanked for such upward accomplishments; the head swim coach, Sean Peters has been named GLIAC Coach of the Year for either the men's or women's team every year for almost 15 years! Last year, Kelly LaCroix was named the Division II Diving Coach of the year!

My old teammate, roommate, coach, and more importantly, friend, Lindsey and I had so much fun catching up!  We went back and forth with funny stories, thinking about how we got through all of those practices, and laughing at each other's old quirks. 

My freshman year on the team, Kelly wrote this quote on a whiteboard near the diving boards.  Through the years of new athletes, new diving boards, changes to the pool deck, new bleachers, it's nice to see that some things just don't change!

New and old divers!  Good luck with the upcoming season!

If you'd like more info on the Wayne State Swimming and Diving teams... Click here :)