NC Bears vs. CSU



Graduate Tori Gutt



Great team effort on Saturday by the AquaBears up in Fort Collins!!  Kelly took first on both boards once again resetting the 3Meter record. 

Congratulations to Senior Tori Gutt who not only finished first in the 400 IM and second in the 200 Breast but also finished her Bachelor's degree this past week! She will be starting graduate school in the spring.  Way to go Tori!!

Check out the Official Release on UNCBears.com

Bear of the Week!

Kelly Schmeckpeper-Cook @ Mesa St.

Congrats to Senior Diver Kelly Schmeckpeper-Cook for being honored as this week's Bear of the Week!!! Kelly has dominated both the 1 and 3 Meter boards thus far this season, setting new records on both boards, qualifying for Zones in March and still learning new dives!

Way to go Kelly!!

Air Force and Wyoming

Freshman Renee Stephens

The Bears had a tough but good weekend with a win against the Air Force Falcons and then traveling up to Laramie, Wyoming on Saturday for some tough swims. 

Against the Falcons Senior Diver Kelly Schmeckpeper-Cook set a new 3meter diving record, breaking her sister's previous record by less than a point set last year.  Way to go Kelly!!  On the swimming side of the pool the AquaBears won the 200 Medley Relay with a time of 1:50.58 immediately followed by Tatum Boehnke's win in the 1000 Free; Freshman Gina Riggle, Kira Algers, Courtney Van Oost and Senior Tori Gutt were also victorious in their events.

The Bears got up for another meet on Saturday in Laramie against the Cowgirls, showing how tough they are by racing the same events less than 24hrs after the previous night's meet and at over 7000 feet.  Once again Kelly and Courtney came through victorious for the Bears while Tori Gutt, JJ Smith, Hannah Halstrom and Marta Roberson also had solid races.   Good job Bears!!!

Offical Releases and Results

Bears vs. Air Force

Bears vs. Wyoming

Visit UNCBears.com for more Offical Releases.

UNC Mirror Newspaper Article

The AquaBears will be taking on the Air Force Falcons Friday night at Butler-Hancock, 5pm!!! It's looking to be a really exciting meet for the Bears!!!  On Saturday we will be traveling north to Laramie, Wyoming to compete against the Cowgirls at 1pm.

Check out The Mirror's Article on this year's team highlighting JJ Smith and Courtney Van Oost.

LET"S GO BEARS!!!

Amanda Donegan

Bears take on Falcons Newspaper Article

A Day in the Life....

This week's A Day in the Life comes from Junior Co-Captian Amanda Donegan who is from Avondale, Arizona.  Amanda is majoring in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Math, she holds a Top Ten Time in the 100 Breast for the AquaBears, while also competing in the 200 Breast, 500 Free and sometimes the 1650 Free!

Here is a glimpse into Amanda's Daily Life.

Junior Amanda Donegan

Beep. Beep. BEEP! At 5:15 on the dot my alarm clock signals the start of a new day. I slowly get out of bed, vaguely wondering whether or not there will be a fresh layer of snow waiting for me on my car this morning. But that can wait. First I must get dressed and ready for morning swim practice. With a house full of swimmers, we all wake up together and try to get each other pumped up for our 6 a.m. practice. When it is time to leave I am delighted to see that my car is there waiting for me, snow-free.

Right before practice, I groggily walk up to the edge of the pool and put on my cap and goggles. When I jump into the cool water, I instantly wake up and am prepared to practice. Throughout morning practice I constantly try to work harder, become faster, and give my 110 percent. When practice comes to an end, it is time for me to get dressed and make my way back home.

At home, I eat my breakfast and prepare for my 10 a.m. class (which usually includes a pre-class nap). When my alarm once again goes off, I get ready to go to my class. For the next 4 hours and 15 minutes I am in learning mode. I try to stay focused in class which really pays off. Throughout my years of being a student athlete, I learned that it is important to pay attention in class and do as much work as possible during class and study hall in order to have more time at home to rest up for practices. After class I head home and immediately start getting ready for 3 o’clock practice. During this practice I still try to work harder, become faster, and give my 110 percent. I work on my stroke technique and try to become better at my specialty stroke – breaststroke.

After practice at 5:30 p.m. I go back home and eat supper. After supper I finish up any homework I had left to do. Once I am all caught up, I like to call home and see how everyone is doing. Finally it is time for bed around eleven o’clock and I know when I wake up the next morning; I am going to repeat it all again.

Bear of the Week

Junior JJ Smith

Congrats to JJ Smith for being named this week's Bear of the Week for her contributions in both individual events and on the relays in the Bears' wins.  JJ currently holds the Bears' Top Times in the 50 Free (24.55), and 100 Free (54.40).

Way to go JJ!!!

Bears win CSU Invite

Another great weekend for the Bears as they brought home another win from the CSU Invite!  The 200 Free Relay conisisting of Kira Alger, Gina Riggle, Sammy Leonard and JJ Smith posted a Top Ten time of 1:39.41.  Tori and Courtney continue to dominate the 400 IM with a 1-2 finish while Sammy Leonard posted a 1:01.36 in the 100 Backstroke.  Way to go Bears!!!!

Official Release

Senior Tori Gutt

A Day in the Life

This week's A Day in the Life is from Senior Co-Captain Kelly Schmeckpeper-Cook.  Kelly is a diver from Denver, Colorado majoring in Journalism and Mass Communications.  Most recently Kelly set a new school record on the 1Meter board against New Mexico on November 4th and also qualifying for NCAA Zones in March. 

A Day in the Life of Kelly Schmeckpeper-Cook

Finally after three years of feeling like a chicken with my head cut off I think I’ve finally have being a student-athlete down.  I’ve learned many lessons for both everyday life and at practice.  I’ll start with my everyday life lessons.

Lesson #1: On mornings with weights, it is very beneficial to sleep in the clothes you wish to wear to weights.  Then you can just roll out of bed throw on some shoes, brush your teeth and head to weights saving you a crucial fifteen minutes of ready time so you can sleep!  On the mornings with water practice- pack your outfit for the day and all school things the night before! This will let you sleep for about 20-30 minutes longer depending on how slow you are in the mornings.  Over the years I have learned that sleep is one of the most important things to succeed in school and sports so every second counts!  After getting a good workout in the weight room I head home to nap before my 9 am class, which brings me to Lesson #2: When napping after a work out SET MULTIPLE ALARMS! Because if you’re anything like me after workout naps are virtually impossible to wake-up from.  Then it’s off to class.  The greatest thing I've learned about doing well in your classes is sit in the front! I have a tendency to get distracted pretty easily but sitting in the front virtually eliminates any chances to be distracted. You have the professor staring at you the whole lecture, making it easy to stay on task.  After my 9 am class I usually head straight to study hall which brings me to Lesson #3: Get your study hall done as early as possible!!! There is nothing worse than realizing Thursday morning that you still have 5 hours left.  Breaking study hall up into small increments of 2hours each day makes staying on task much easier and then you aren't overwhelmed on Thursday with multiple hours to complete. Next I go to my Advertising Principles class and then one more hour of study hall before 3:00 practice.

Number one lesson of practice: Leave outside issues at the door! Practice is great not only because you’re getting better at your sport but it's an awesome stress release and gives you a two hour escape from the rest of the world.  Practice Lesson #2: Always go hard for everything! As a diver who is afraid of heights and many more things it is very easy for me to "wimp out" when learning a new dive... Result of wimping out: SMACK!!!  Going hard for every dive every time not only makes you a better diver but it saves your body from smacking! Practice #3: Have fun with practice and try not to get frustrated.  Easier said than done right? Well making a conscience effort to do these things will make practice more enjoyable for you as well as the people  around you.  After practice I head home for some dinner which usually consists of pasta and chicken.  I get the rest of my school work done and try to get to bed as early as possible.  Like I said every second counts when it comes to sleep!

    I have had an awesome 3.5 years on this team and have made awesome friendships with all of my teammates.  And while I’m ready to graduate and finish my career as a diver the bonds made with these girls and coaches will make that end very bittersweet!  

Welcome Aboard!!

The AquaBears have added three great swimmers to the 2011-2012 team!  Gina Cernohous(Witchita, KS), Emily Foster(Santa Barbara, CA) and Jasmine Fryrear(San Diego, CA) have committed to the University of Northern Colorado Swimming and Diving team!

The coaching staff and team are very excited about adding these three young ladies.  Congrats!

2010-2011 AquaBears at Pumpkin Patch in Ault, CO

Check out the Official Release on UNCBears.com

MPSF Swimmer of the Week!

Freshman Courtney Van Oost

A congratulations goes out to Freshman Courtney Van Oost for being named MPSF Swimmer of the Week!  Courtney posted a Top Ten time in the 200 Back with a 2:06.42, a 4:36.92 in the 400 IM and a 54.10 in the 400 Free Relay to help the Bears beat South Dakota St. and Northern Iowa this past weekend.

This is the second time this season Courtney has received the honor, her first recognition coming after her performances in Grand Junction, CO against Mesa St. and Adams St.  Way to go Courtney!

Check out the Official Release from UNCBears.com

Bear of the Week

Freshman Renee Stevens

This week's Bear of the Week was awarded to Renee Stevens for her continued improvement in the breastroke events. From Loveland, Colorado, Renee graduated from Loveland High School and is majoring in Nursing.  Renee has steadily climbed the depth charts for the Bears in the breaststroke events by consistently dropping time and representing NC on the medley relays.

Congrats Renee!

NC Bears Bring Home Four Wins

The AquaBears had a great weekend in Cedar Falls, IA bringing home a total of 4 wins against both Northern Iowa and South Dakota State. Seniors Kelly Schmeckpeper-Cook and Tori Gutt continue to lead the team in their events, while JJ Smith leads the sprinters and Courtney Van Oost continues to post Top Ten times in the 400 IM and 200 Back.  All of the AquaBears had a great weekend with fast swimming and great times.

Check out the Official Release from UNCBears.com.

Bear of the Week

Sophomore Alicen Fair

Congrats to Alicen Fair for earning this week's Bear of the Week!

Alicen is a Sophomore middle distance freestyler from Aurora, Colorado, majoring in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Visual Arts, has demonstrated leadership skills both in and out of the pool especially with recruiting weekends helping to make the AquaBears even faster!

Way to go Alicen!

Bears Battle New Mexico



Senior NCAA Zones Qualifer
Kelly Schmeckpepper-Cook

 Northern Colorado AquaBears showed a lot of promise for the upcoming years in their meet against the New Mexico Lobos on Thursday evening by closing the gap between the two teams, a new diving record and NCAA Zones Cut by Kelly Schmeckpepper-Cook, going 1st-2nd in the 400 IM ending it all with a win in the last relay, 400 Free Relay.

It was a very good meet top to bottom.  Check out the Official Release on UNCBears.com

A Day in the Life

This week's "A Day in the Life of an AquaBear" comes from senior Alisha Dauman.  Alisha competes in the butterfly and IM events for the Bears, she is majoring in Sport and Excercise Science, she swims along her twin sister, Alana who's day was featured a couple weeks ago.


Senior Alisha Dauman

Alisha is from Thornton, CO and here is A Day in Her Life.....

I wake up at 5:30am on a cold Wednesday morning to go lift weights, something that has become a ritual of mine for the last 3 years since I have competed at the college level.  An hour goes by and I’m on my way home to crawl up into bed take a short nap before class.  Most days I enjoy this nap; however there have been some weeks where I am obligated to study so that I can get the grades that I want. Around 9 o’clock, I go to the first of three classes on my schedule, Nutrition Assessment/Intervention of Nutrition, today I had the privilege to listen to a guest speaker talk about Cystic Fibrosis.  She has been living with CF her whole life and came to talk to us about what life is like for her day to day.  This fascinates me because I think my life is hard until I listen to what other people go through and then I actually think mine is pretty great.  I went to my next class which is Business Management, where we learned about how important it is to be organized whether working for a business or owning a business.  Food Science is next on my schedule, which is my favorite class because it strikes a particular interest of mine, baking.  I love to bake even though it is not something that I am able to do on a daily basis. In this class we learn about different type of foods and what can happen to it when it is baked different ways.  For example, we learned about what happens when you make a cake with Splenda instead of sugar, or honey instead of sugar and etc.  These are the things we test and bake ourselves so that we know firsthand what can happen.

Three o’clock rolls around and its practice time.  I swim butterfly and individual medley, so most practices are geared towards these events.  After practice, I eat dinner and head off to study hall.  I normally have schoolwork to do, especially since I’m a senior and am going to be graduating in May.  Swimming has been my life ever since I can remember and honestly I am a little sad to see it all be over with.  I am soaking up every last minute of the pool as I can before I take the next stroke in my life.

Flower Power!

Happy Birthday to Hattie Oats and Hannah Hurd!  It was a great day for the Flower Cap as it was used TWICE in one day!


Hannah Hurd



Hattie Oats



 Watch some of their warm-up with the Flower Cap! Hannah is swimming and Hattie is kicking.

Bear of the Week!



Sophomore Distance Swimmer
Tatum Boehnke

Congrats to Tatum Boehnke for earning this week's "Bear of the Week."  Tatum is a Sophomore majoring in Excercise Science who is from Carson City, Nevada.  Tatum swims the Distance Freestyle events for the AquaBears and has also swam the English Channel and Lake Tahoe.

Way to go Tatum!

Northern Vision's Article on Tatum's Open Water Swims

Flower Cap Time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kaitlin!  Check out some of Kaitlin's warm-up with the cap.

Maybe this should be an everyday cap for Kaitlin?????



Tatum Boehnke swims Lake Tahoe and English Channel

During the Summer of 2010 Sophomore AquaBear Tatum Boehnke swam Lake Tahoe, the summer before that she swam the English Channel, now Tatum is leading the Bears in the Distance events.  Boehnke is from Carson City, Nevada and is majoring in Sport and Excercise Science.

Follow the link to read UNC Northern Vision's article on Tatum's accomplishments.  Way to go Tatum!

 Tatum Boehnke swims English Channel and Lake Tahoe

A Day in the Life

This week's A Day in the Life feature come from JJ Smith, a junior from Centennial, Colorado.  JJ, who swims sprint freestyle for the AquaBears, talks about majoring in Physical Education, swimming, and daily rehab for her recent shoulder injury.


Junior JJ Smith

 A Day in the Life of JJ Smith

Yet another dream is interrupted by the sound of that dreaded alarm clock.  Up before the sun sneaking out of the house trying not to wake the others and on my way to lifting.  Tuesdays my schedule differs, a little, due to a recent shoulder injury.  At 5:30 I start off with rehab, and seeing as it is way too early for any normal person to be up, it is just our trainer, Katie, and I.  Rehab and daily trips to the training room, multiple times a day, have become a habit for me this year to keep my shoulder healthy.  After a session of rehab it’s back with the sprinters and divers to finish the morning with abs.  Heading home to an empty house I breakfast and do some last minute reading before classes.

Being a Physical Education major is fun and games in class but also involves learning and tons of work, of course.  Today we learned how to teach running, dodging, fleeing, and chasing.  Easy right? Yes and no.  I do get to play everyday in classes but it does involve a lot of work.  In my next class we work on developing lesson plans, the objectives that we want the students to learn, and work on psychomotor, cognitive, and affective goals.  Right after this class we go into doing activities and practice teachings.  We teach each other skills that we will also teach in middle school including team handball, rugby, soccer, and ultimate frisbee.  We get to play and learn specific goals from all these sports.  Everyone finds it very impressive that a swimmer has eye-hand and eye-foot coordination.  After playing for a little bit it is time to sit down with each other and reflect on the teachings we just finished.  In the PE program we all stay together throughout classes and years until we graduate and we all have become very good friends through the past three years. After classes I head off with my lunch to study hall for some homework before practice.

Next I head to practice ready to go and put in a good work out.  Being a sprinter we have specific goals on what we need to get done for each practice to be the best we can at meets.  But today differs from others because we have our camp fire meeting. We talk about what is going on and what is coming up in the next few weeks including meets, recruits, community service, etc.  We always manage to get a little off task and always have a few good laughs before jumping in.

After practice it’s a quick run home, get some dinner, and back to study hall for a couple hours and a quick visit with a few friends to top off the day.  The day finally comes to a close and my bed is calling my name getting me ready for another day of practice and school. 

An outsider walking in and seeing our team would see a crazy team of 28 girls jamming out to music, sometimes dancing, and swimming back and forth in the pool.  What I see is my teammates, my friends, and my family.  I usually do not remember what practice was from yesterday nor do I remember those extra hard days Coach and the sets really test my mental and physical toughness.  What I do remember is all the great times I have had with this team.  And can’t wait to see what crazy, fun times are in store for me.  

Bear of the Week!



Freshman Kaitlin Sorensen

Congratulations to Kaitlin Sorensen who was chosen as "Bear of the Week" by the captains for her constant hard work, attentiveness to details and constantly bringing a smile and laughs to the pool deck.

Kaitlin is a freshman from Westminister, CO graduating from Ralston Valley High School, she swims both sprint freestyle and the breastroke events for the AquaBears.

Way to go Kaitlin!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-2011 AquaBears at Ault Pumpkin Patch

The Aquabears spent a few hours picking pumpkins in Ault, Colorado for Stellar Elementary's Pumpkin Run last week.  Our ladies had a lot of fun picking over 200 pumpkins for the students.  Follow the link for more pictures!  AquaBears Pumpkin Patch Pictures



A Day in the Life



Sophomore Hannah Hurd



This week's A Day in the Life is Sophomore Hannah Hurd who is from Loveland, Colorado swimming Mid-Distance Freestyle and Backstroke for the AquaBears.  Hannah is majoring in Elementary Education.

“Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.”

Anatole France

            Some people say majoring in Elementary Education is the easiest thing ever, that it shouldn’t even count as a major! If these naysayers were to spend one day in my shoes, they would recognize the vast complexities and demands of education that are not reflected in the colorful posters and candy jars that welcome visitors in a typical school office.

            In the mornings, I walk into my math class ready to learn any and every method a student can use to find a correct answer to a given math problem. We learn ways to implement the use of manipulatives, such as geoboards and tangrams, into our lessons to create a hands-on learning environment. Some of the concepts learned in my high school AP Statistics and Trigonometry classes are being integrated into these new elementary math curriculums. Our elementary students are going to be very math savvy by the time they finish the fifth grade!

            Next, I head to a class where I am learning all about Colorado history. From fur trappers to Indians, gold miners to farmers, we are garnering an in depth understanding of this state’s background.  A challenge we face is to present this information in kid-friendly formats such as concept webs, venn diagrams, and reading guides.

            My night wraps up with discussions and articles on how every pupil learns differently. I am reminded there is no single “right” way to teach to all students. It is our job to learn everything we can about our students so we can create a successful learning environment for each individual.

            Swimming has taught me lessons I will carry with me all of my life. It has taught me how to lead through my actions. It has taught me that the people I can rely on most are just a lane line away. It has taught me how to juggle a sport, schoolwork, family and friends. It has taught me how to give more to a team then I take from it. It has taught me to never go to the grocery store after a workout because you might end up buying the whole store you’re so hungry! It has taught me dedication should not be something left to dry on the pool deck. But most of all, it has taught me the strength of encouragement. I am growing every day, not just as a person, but as an educator and the basis for this is swimming.

            Whether through rote memorization, the dissection of various theories on learning or racing in the pool, UNC is enabling and encouraging me to become a successful teacher. I can only hope that I will be able to encourage the next generation as much as my predecessors have encouraged me!

Bear of the Week!

Bear of the Week-
Diver Sara Moldenhauer

The AquaBear's Captains have awarded Sophomore Diver Sara Moldenhaur with the "Bear of the Week."  Since starting practice with Diving Coach Kevin Oswalt, Sara has learned a 205c(Back 2 1/2)  305c(Reverse 2 1/2) and  405c(Inward 2 1/2) off the 3-meter board.

Sara is orginially from Colorado Springs, CO and a graduate from Doherty High School. 

Congrats Sara!!!  You're team and coaches are proud of you!

MPSF Swimmer of the Week

 

Freshman Courtney Van Oost



This past week Courtney Van Oost was named Swimmer of the Week for MPSF!!!

A HUGE pat on the back goes out to Courtney, a freshman from Elgin, IL for her accomplishment which not only marks UNC's first recongnition in the MPSF but also the first ever Swimmer of the Week for the whole conference.(8 Swimming and Diving Members)

The UNC Bears Swimming and Diving Captains also award a weekly "Bear Award" to a member of the team for their performance at a meet or work ethic during practices.  This week's Bear Award went to Courtney to compliment her MPSF Swimmer of the Week in recongnition for her overall performances at the Intermountain Shootout Oct 8-9 hosted by Mesa State.

The opportunity for our athletes to be awarded this accolade weekly and also receive numerous other accoclades at the end of the season(Newcomer of the Year; All-Academic Team; All-Conference Team) are among the top reasons why we are excited to be a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference.

MPSF Release and Weekly Re-Cap
UNCBears.com Official Release

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A Day in the Life..

To give us a glimpse into her day-to-day life is Alana Dauman who is a Senior from Thornton, Colorado representing the Bears in the backstroke events.


Senior Swimmer Alana Dauman

A Day in the Life of Alana Dauman.................................

A straight plunge into the depths of what ultimately lies beneath the surface.   Diving only deep enough to where there’s no point in returning.  We are faced with the unknown, our fate is yet to be determined and the challenge has already been set up for us.  I stand frigid behind the blocks, watching the ripples of the water disappear.

 It’s another day, and after almost hitting the snooze on my alarm I jump up, and race to practice to get ready for a morning of weights.  In an instance, my 8 am class calls and I am in for another day of classes and a good amount of studying.

  Today, I learned about the different parts of the body and how they react to exercise from a physics point of view. I learned that EKG’s, or in other words the heart monitors that are hooked up to people in the hospital, aren’t as easy to read as they look.  And it really isn’t just, is the person alive or not.  I learned that knowing your sexual identity isn’t based just solely on your personality and what you like to do.  It’s also how you view yourself as a person, and how you react to others.  I learned that the human body is made up of many different systems all working together as one.  I’ve learned in college it’s not how smart you are its how much you apply yourself.  Knowledge is ultimately contagious! 

Off to swim practice, we start with dry-land and then move onto two hours of intense swimming, the day is almost over.  Studying is the next item on my agenda.  Swimming at the collegiate level has taught me how important managing your time is.  It’s a skill that I have acquired and learned to stick by in order to get the grades needed.  At last, it’s time for some sleep, fatigue has set in to the extreme and sleep is easy to come.         

The time is now, the time is here, and nothing else matters.  It’s my last chance, my last big meet at the end of the season, its three years of hard work and all of it’s soon going to pay off.  It’s the last glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel and I couldn’t be more excited to see how it’s all going to end.  This team is what has gotten me through, made it worth it, and when everything else fails they’re the ones still there! 

First Wins of the Season!

Congrats to the AquaBears on securing their first two wins of the season this past weekend against Mesa State and Adams State at the 2010 Intermountain Shootout in Grand Junction, CO.

The team was a little rusty on Friday evening after a 5hr. bus ride through the mountians but came out strong on Saturday securing the wins and posting numerous Top Ten All-Time Performances over the weekend.  Top Ten Performances were posted by Courtney Van Oost (200 Back-2:07.75), 200 Medley Relay-1:51.10(Sammy Leonard, Amanda Donegan, Gina Riggle, JJ Smith), 200 Free Relay-1:42.83(Leonard, Riggle, Hattie Oats, Smith).

And as with every trip there are memorable moments................Coach Kelly or Bus Driver Kelly!?!?!??

A Day in the Life of an AquaBear

Mostly you see our AquaBears in the pool as swimmers and divers but in reality our athletes are much more than just a swimmer or a diver.  In addition to practices, meets, team meetings, weights, study hall and traveling our AquaBears also take a full load of classes and sometimes find time for socializing....typically at a meal with the team. 

Senior Captain Tori Gutt

Every Thursday we will be highlighting an AquaBear with a recount of their daily schedule including insight to experiences and lessons learned over the course of their career as an AquaBear.  We hope to give you a behind the scenes look at our swimmers and divers.

Our first AquaBear is senior and co-captain Tori Gutt.  Tori holds UNC Top All-Time Times in both the 200 Breast and 400 IM with many other times in our Top Ten list.  Originally from Tucson, AZ here is A Day in the Life of Tori Gutt.................

Sometimes, people ask me why I chose to swim in college.  This question used to be hard to answer because the schedule is grueling, and the sport is demanding. But now, as a senior, and after 3 years of this life, I think I have figured out the answer to that popular question. . .

The alarm clock always goes off early.  I roll out of bed and head to the pool.  The morning practice goes well. After practice is over, I feel good.

I eat a quick breakfast after practice and complete some final homework assignments before classes start.  I live in an apartment within walking distance to campus.  I walk with my roommate to our classes.  I enjoy learning and love putting my best effort into a difficult assignment.  Working hard in the classroom is just as important as working hard in the pool.

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After a full day of class, it is time for our afternoon practice.  As a group, we stretch and do dryland—abs today.  Then we jump in the pool for a hard workout.  When we have finished, I am exhausted, but I have such a feeling of accomplishment.  Each day of hard work is one day closer to the team showing it off at conference.

Following practice, I eat dinner at the dining hall with the team.  I am all about the dining hall!  It is all-you-can-eat, which I am a huge fan of, because who doesn’t like unlimited food?  Duh, sign me up—love it.  The food is delicious, and the conversation is great.  We always share lots of laughs at dinner.  I walk back to my apartment to start a long night of homework.  I have a quiz to study for and a lot of assignments due tomorrow.  My studying is productive, and I feel ready for my quiz in the morning.

I wish I had some extra free time after I finish my work to relax.  But, it is bedtime.  I have learned that sleep is just too important.  School and swimming are time consuming, but I know it is all worth it.  Swimming has taught me how to manage my time, and how to juggle it all. 

I don’t do it for the early morning wake up calls.

I don’t do it for the rushed breakfasts or the hurried homework.

I don’t do it for the endless crunches, the sore muscles or the grueling workouts.

I don’t do it for the long, late nights of homework.

I don’t do it for the lack of sleep or the full body fatigue. 

We all sacrifice a lot to live this life, but it is something I will never forget.  When things get tough, it is the little things that get me through it all.  It’s the little jokes in the locker room.  It’s late night story time on long bus rides.  It’s a smile from a teammate in the hallway at school.  It’s the pancake breakfasts after Saturday practices.  It’s the team movie nights after a long week.  It’s funny, because I don’t remember practice on October 4 of my freshman year.  I don’t remember my time in the 200 breaststroke at the Early Bird Invite 3 years ago.  I don’t remember weight room workouts from last month.  But what I do remember are the memories.  And those memories will last a lifetime.  I remember meeting the team for the first time.  I remember making friends that will last a lifetime.  I remember sharing stories at team sleepovers.  Some of the best times of my life have been spent with the girls on this team.  By next week, I probably won’t even remember yesterday’s workout.  But I will always remember this team, and that is what is important.  The team is what gets me through it all. 

And that is why I swim.

Blue vs. Gold Innersquad and Alumni Weekend

The Blue vs. Gold Innersquad was a great meet for our team. Compared to last year's Blue and Gold Meet over half of the events swam had faster times this year. Great job AquaBears, we are on our way to a great season!

Alums Art Wolverton, Ron and Ella Mae Brown

We would also like to Thank the Swimming and Diving Alumni who came out to support the current AquaBears. Divers Art Wolverton, Caty Cook and Swimmers Ron Brown, and Lynette Washburn who pulled out the cap and goggles to compete on the Gold Team.

After a few tense moments after the 400 Free Relay the Gold Team proved to be the best that evening edging out the Blue 116 to 113. Follow the link below for our Official Release on the Bears Athletic website.

Gold edges Blue in 2010 Innersquad

Next up for the AquaBears is the Intermountain Shootout in Grand Junction, CO hosted by Mesa State

Flower Power II

Apparently it has gotten around to team about how fun it is warm-up with The Flower Cap because.........

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON!!!!


 









FLOWER POWER!

Many different sports and many teams carry on traditions.  Here at UNC the AquaBears have started a new tradition........FLOWER POWER!!  On each of their respective birthdays the athletes will warm-up in a Flower Cap that just might resemble something they'll wear a few years down the road while lap swimming.

In true form it was the youngest of the AquaBears that got to wear it first.......



 



Happy Birthday Christina!!!



The Coaches unanimously agreed to let technique slide for about 10 minutes so the Flower Cap could be adequately used.

AquaBears in the Wilderness!

The Swimming and Diving Bears have been busy in the pool getting ready for the Blue vs. Gold Innersquad but they've also been sighted in the wilderness learning some valuable LifeSkills from Coach Kelly!

Our First Annual Team Camping Trip was to Carter Lake (about 1hr West of Greeley) with two days centered around Team Building from setting up the tents to cooking four meals.  The AquaBears did a GREAT job working as one team and guiding their partner up a trail..........blindfolded.  The girls also learned about preparing/lighting a lantern, cooking over an open fire and creating the perfect s'more.

First night's dinner-Burgers and Hot Dogs.

We are looking forward to Homecoming Week here at UNC, September 26-October 2 and especially to our Blue vs. Gold Innersquad Meet on Friday October 1 @5pm in the Butler-Hancock Pool.  We will be honoring our Swimming and Diving Alumni at the meet and with a Tailgate on Saturday before the big football game versus Montana!


Go Bears!

2010-2011 UNC Bears Swimming and Diving

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

The Northern Colorado Swimming and Diving Team has been busy over the summer with the hiring of two new assistants and joining a new conference.

Aimee Dunavant and Kevin Oswalt have joined Kelly McClanahan on deck for the 2010-2011 season.  Aimee will be assisting on the swimming side of the pool while Kevin will command the Diving program.

The team joined the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference for the 2010-2011 season.  Follow the link to our UNC Bears website to find out more!  http://www.uncbears.com/

Classes and practices are just around the corner can't wait to get started!