WELCOME CLASS of 2013 !

Our new freshmen are here! They’ve moved in, their rooms are in varying states of disarray, the posters and pictures from home are going up on the walls. College is the best! Some of our upperclassmen helped people move in this morning and have been making rounds meeting our new swimmers around the dorms.

Campus is abuzz. It’s a sight to see so many people on the threshold of a grand new experience. Another great year begins now!

Hot weather, new students, and strange pool sightings…

Today we had some drains upgraded in both the indoor and outdoor pools. Here’s a great shot of a man with a long respirator hose and a weight belt at the bottom of our estate pool.

It’s 97 degrees right now and I predict today will be the hottest day we have before next summer. Lee has been busy guarding the outdoor pool this week. Luckily his New Mexican heritage makes him a sun worshipper.

Many of our new freshmen arrived to campus this week for Breakaway trips (some of our swimmers are going rafting, sea kayaking, or camping in the Columbia River Gorge). And many more will be here next week for NSO (orientation). Campus is buzzing and I can’t wait to welcome all our new swimmers and everyone returning for another great year!

Pio is famous! (or his ancestor is, at least)

Check out this article on the top dog of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Our very own Pio lives on in his ancestor's image of Strength, Pride, and Endurance.

http://www.lclark.edu/news/story/?id=1748

World Champs have nothing on Portland... We're breaking records, too!

The swimming might be hot in Rome right now, but everywhere in Portland, Oregon is hot. We’re approaching new record highs this week. Stores are sold out of fans, the 7-Eleven Slurpee machine is working overtime, and my cat does not like being soaked in the shower to cool off.

Get to the pool!

Remembrances of Winter Training '09

Got an email from super-recent ’09 grad Sam Palmer today with this photo. I'll trust Sammy won't mind me quoting his email. He thought this photo showed, "how happy the men's team looks during January!! Can you believe the looks on the faces and it's the hardest part of the season?"

Thanks Sam. Your work ethic and attitude (and some serious sunshine) helped make this year's Winter Training one of the most productive and successful ever.

A great week in sports

The Tour de France for breakfast is a great way to start a summer day. Maybe you’ve caught the cycling excitement for the first time or maybe you've rooted for years. Are you a Team Astana fan? Can Lance come back? Can he make it on the podium? Most of us should have learned not to count him out too early. Maybe you’re a fan of the green jersey race for the sprinters… These last few mountain stages have been ugly, with the little green jersey decal on the TV screen shown as “dropped” off the back of the peloton as the best climbers tear the field apart.

As if premiere cycle racing were not enough, I just got back from the Sectional Championship across town out at Mt. Hood. It’s a hot week here and today is a beautiful day for fast swimming! We’re lucky to see such big meets coming to Portland throughout the year since kids from much of the western US make the trip each season. Good luck to competitors at this and other Section meets this week!

A Pio Alumni Wedding

Swimmer Lindsay Nixon '09 married Scott Moyer '07, in Riverside, California on Sunday. The Mission Inn is a spectacular site and my wife and I had a great time.

While I’m sometimes tempted to measure a wedding by the food (delicious), my real measure of a wedding is how happy the newlywed couple looks. What a great day and I saw so much of Lindsay’s vibrant personality, which had been absent from campus since graduation in May.


Four great swimmers, one big hug.

Happy 4th of July from Pioneer Swimming

Lindsay Nixon is Conference Woman of the Year Nominee for NCAA

Two months ago, Lindsay bid adieu to her undergraduate years at L&C and yet she is still making waves in collegiate athletics. You can read about this great honor in the article at this link: http://www.lcpioneers.com/sports/swimdive/2008-09/news/LindsayWOTY

We at the pool salute her and applaud her. Congrats Lindsay!

Drop-ins welcome!

On this last full day of our first week of swim camp, two of our newly minted Pioneer Swimming graduates made appearances separately. Sarit Gluz, ’09, came by to visit on her way to work. She checked in with coaches, counselors and swimmers at the camp where she served as a counselor extraordinaire just last summer.

Less than an hour later, Anne Scheiman, ’09, visited after class. Anne just started the Masters in Teaching program in the School of Education this week and she LOVES her classes. Nothing could be better and I’m so proud of her. I know the year will pass in a flash and she’ll find her new career in elementary education.

Swim Camp ! !

Summer is here and with it comes Swim Camp! Late June and early July on the Lewis & Clark campus see more than one hundred young swimmers here for fun, new techniques, excitement, and new friendships. Today is day two, the weather will be in the 70s, and campus is alive with the future of our sport.

Our college athletes give camp their all in serving as counselors and mentors to our campers. Last night after dinner they facilitated a campus tour, kickball, board games, movie time, and ping pong. With days like these, we all sleep well!

Zach Yeager is triathlon finalist!

On Memorial Day our very own Zach Yeager finished 3rd overall in the Heart of the Valley Triathlon. On a sunny Monday morning in Corvallis, OR, he covered the course in just over an hour, finishing in 1:05:57.

Congratulations Zach! More great races to come!

Record Board Ceremony

Last week, as school wound down and summer loomed near, we honored our successful season and put the new records up on our record board.

This has been a spectacular year! I have a feeling summer will pass in a flash and we’ll be on to an exciting new season........ (And more cake.)

Team Awards Banquet 2009

This afternoon we held our annual team awards get-together. Last year we went downtown for fondue. This year we took a turn for the zany with a trip to Pump It Up for indoor inflatable bouncing.

A few fun facts about our team awards:

**12 women and 6 men received votes for Most Inspirational. I think this gets to the heart of what makes our team successful. Our swimmers look around and see they are surrounded by people who support them and inspire them.

**Over half the team received at least one vote from their teammates for Most Improved. This is a testament to how much attention our kids paid to the experiences of their teammates and the way everyone shared in our success.

Just like our pool training and racing, the team spared no time getting down to business. There was bouncing, sliding, relay racing, boxing, jousting and generally crashing around having fun.

Lindsay Nixon is Senior Career Award Winner!

At the end of another 80-degree day in the Oregon sun, we made our way through a warm evening breeze to the Council Chamber for the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Dessert. Each year we get together to celebrate the accomplishments of all our athletes (before retiring to Stamm Hall for many desserts).

Lindsay Nixon was the night’s big winner, taking home a shiny trophy for the Pioneer Athletic Club Senior Career Award. In a swimming career that includes individual Northwest Conference titles in three of her four years and three individual and four relay school records, Lindsay has truly honored the Pioneer tradition.

Swimmers were nominated in many categories and our finalists included Annie Hay for the Rookie of the Year and Mandy Hamilton, who was the bronze medalist for the Scholar-Athlete Award. Joining Mandy on ther All-Academic Team were Matt Yelin and Zach Yeager.

10:48am and all is well

A glorious morning on our way to 76 degrees today. One simply could not ask for a better Monday on campus!

Grace Gifford competes at Paralympic National Championship

Grace is competing this week at the US Paralympic Swimming Championship. She is racking up lifetime bests including tonight's 50 Freestyle and 400 Freestyle. Incidentally, a month ago at our Northwest Conference Championship, Grace crushed by ten seconds her own American record in the 200 Breaststroke for her classification.

Western Region Sectional Championship

I spent the end of last week in Washington for the Sectional meet. Great swims by quite a few of our senior recruits and I got the chance to watch a lot of juniors, as well. Like meets across the rest of the country right now, an abundance of fast swimming.

It's always nice to talk with coaches about their swimmers, particularly those who are academically minded who will be a great fit for both our team and the vibrant learning environment at Lewis & Clark.

I also got to spend about 45-minutes talking physiology with a coach friend. Specifically anaerobic threshold training and the ramifications of training just above or just below this level. It's great to bounce ideas off of someone else and find out how they do things.

Live The Dream

This has been the season's theme, its de facto motto, and, with the conclusion of our Conference Championship, its reality. The saying came into the year with Elspeth, a senior, and made its way onto a banner, the back of our T-shirts, and our team persona.

By the end of Finals on Sunday, we were looking at what may have been the best meet in team history and what was definitely the most exciting meet I’ve coached. Our swimmers saw dozens of lifetime best times and our women broke 11 school records—8 individual records spread between 6 women, plus both 200 and 400 medley relays and the 800 freestyle relay.

Our men’s team came together like I’ve never seen before. Team huddles, themed shirts, and a real passion for fast swimming that was stunning. We moved up in our seeding by sheer will as the guys crushed their old marks and climbed in the standings. Guys made Finals for the first time and lopped gobs of time off their swims.

Noah... AKA: Banner Boy #1

Lindsay's 200 IM victory

We have three women with provisional qualifying times for NCAA Nationals—Lindsay in both IMs, Koy in the 200 Free and Annie in the 100 Back. So, there’s a waiting game for them, but most of the squad now moves into the off-season. Everyone is excited and happy.

It’s hard to believe this part of our year is over, but I’m so proud of what our team accomplished and the way they carried themselves through this meet. Yesterday people flooded by my office and the pool to visit because it’s the most natural thing to do after class and before going back to the dorms or off to dinner. Quite a few took a dip in the pool to loosen up. For a coach, there is nothing better than seeing your team happy and motivated to keep moving forward and looking to next season. The fires are stoked and the fun continues.

Seniors and Coach:

Once more, just the ladies:

Be my Pioneer Valentine

Zac surprised our women with roses for yesterday's session. In his defense, so did Matt Yelin (later that night) and Matt got one for his head coach, too...



The end approaches and the Pioneers show no signs of letting up. This morning the team crafted a new cheer to the tune of classic pep band song "Go Fight Win." Simply stunning.

Our men put up the third best 200 Medley Relay swim in school history and climbed the podium at the beginning of finals last night.



When you're in need of a little pick-me-up, let your teammates carry you through the tough times!


Our women's 800 Free Relay team and their proud, proud coach.

This shot catches a fraction of the excitement over the girls' recrod-smashing finish in the 800 Free Relay.

Nine school records... (and counting)

Just when one might expect momentum to slow, the cascade of lifetime best swims and school records continues unabated. Starting the night for the men , our 200 Medley Relay squad posted the third fastest relay performance in school history, less than a second off a mark set in 1991. Later tonight, Zac finished 5th overall in the 100 Back with a spectacular effort wire-to-wire.

On the women's side, the tumult of records has increased. Today alone, two relay and three individual school records have fallen by the wayside. Also, Koy, Lindsay, and Annie (who each set a school record in her respective event) notched NCAA provisional qualifying times.

When it rains, it pours. And we look forward to more success pouring down on the Pios tomorrow on the final day of competition.

Greatest Session in Pio Swimming History

I get to call it that because I update the blog... But, I don't think I'm wrong. I have truly never seen a team get off to such a strong start. This morning saw lifetime bests in ¾ of our swims and one school record. Tough to top… until we got to the finals.

Four school records and huge time drops nearly across the board.

Lindsay Nixon lowered her previous mark from the morning in winning the title in the 200 IM. This swim earned her a provisional NCAA qualifying time.

Claire Jordan finished 5th overall in the 500 Freestyle and dropped three seconds, breaking the Lewis & Clark school record, as well.

The final women’s race of the night was spectacular. In the 400 Medley Relay, Annie Hay lead off the relay with a school record in the 100 Backstroke. Hay combined with Susie Trexler, Lindsay Nixon, and Koy Collier to smash the former school record by more than four seconds. For the men, the finals proved sweet for Zac Hixson who lopped more than three seconds off his lifetime best time to move up to 10th place in the 200 IM. Sam Palmer broke the 22-second barrier to finish in 21.88 seconds in the 50 Freestyle.

It’s hard to believe tomorrow is only Day II, but I welcome the chance to see our team race again. We’ve had great cheers and numerous bus speeches in just the first day of competition. As Sam said, we’re still building to the crescendo. It’s going to be a great weekend!

Record-breaking morning!

Our swimmers put up one of the best first-morning performances I’ve ever seen by a team. Prelims began at 10:00am and by Noon we had seen one school record, over a dozen lifetime bests and excellent positioning for Finals tonight.

Senior Lindsay Nixon smashed the school record in the 200 Individual Medley and is the top seed for tonight's final. She touched in 2:10.81, downing the old mark of 2:11.92 by just over a second. Four more Pioneer women qualified for the consolation final heat of the IM: Koy Collier, Susie Trexler, Cat Menkel-Lawrence, and Mandy Hamilton. Claire Jordan swam to a lifetime best swim in the 500 Freestyle and is seeded fifth going into tonight's final. Senior Annie Hay qualified 8th to swim in the Finals heat of the 50 Freestyle. With this swim, she moved into 7th all-time for the Pios in that race.

In men's competition, co-team captain Sam Palmer swam to a best time in the 50 Freestyle and seeded himself 10th for tonight's final. Palmer moved into 5th place in Pioneer Swimming history for the 50 Freestyle. Co-captain Zac Hixson is coming back ranked 11th tonight in the 200 IM.

Team Dinner

Countdown: 1.5 days to Conference. Tonight Annie had the team over to her house for dinner, with the aid of her mom and grandmother. They treated us to gargantuan trays of lasagna, bottomless salad bowls, garlic bread and Annie's homemade brownies.

The run-up to Conference has flown by and we leave early tomorrow afternoon. I know we're ready to swim fast and we'll see it first thing Friday morning. The training is behind us now. The path is laid for success and we begin our walk down the path. Poetically, as it were.

A couple shots of the team, one with a smashing close-up of Koy's right arm.

Four days out of the big meet

Departure for the Northwest Conference Championship: 4 Days.

The moment is almost here where the hard work culminates in fast swimming and the best team meet of the season. The competition where you are lifted up to great performances by your teammates and the team chemistry reaches its highest point of support and enthusiasm. Each race seems less contested by the individual and more by an entire team.

These next few days we spend honing the skills and capacities we built all season. This is an exciting time! It is a time of more sleep and an opportunity to finish up some school projects, take a deep breath, and prepare for a big weekend. Our workouts this week see great focus on the fundamentals with a little time to cut loose and practice such integral actions as relay exchanges, bubble rings and the goggle toss.

Senior Day! Last Home Meet

On this day we honored our seniors for all they've meant to our program and to their teammates. This year gifts were presented, tears flowed, and so did junior co-captain Zac Hixson on the rap he put to music for the presentation. After honoring each senior, we pumped Zac's song over the sound system and let the magic flow.

Dave is the split maestro!