21,
The Battalion
Sports
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Jumping into Fresh Water
Teshman Kelly Bolton in the fast lane to stardom
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MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion
|man Kelly Bolton is opening eyes around the country.
By Katie Mish
Staff writer
When Kelly Bolton gets into the pool, she already has an
idea of exactly who her biggest competition is—herself.
Bolton, a freshman psychology major from Houston
Nimitz High School, competes in the 50-meter freestyle,
100 freestyle and 100 fly for the Texas A&M Swim Team, a
team that has consistently been a contender in the last
few years.
Bolton started swimming at age nine and began year-
round competing at the age of 13. She did not always know
that she wanted to be a competitive swimmer.
“I started swimming at first because a friend did that lived
across the street,” she said.
Bolton said she credits a coach she had in the early years
of her competition, Coach Eddy, with getting her started
in the competitive realm of swimming. It was this coach
who started the training that brought her to the point
where she is now.
Bolton said her father also was a big influence on her
swimming. Her dad was a full-scholarship athlete, and she
wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“I wanted to be just like him,” Bolton said.
As far as team role models go, Bolton looks to a Texas A&M
swimmer from the past, Julie Bates, who, though now gradu
ated, still trains with the team.
“Julie’s really fast,” Bolton said. “She’s good motivation for me.”
Bolton said she came to Texas A&M for some of the same
reasons many students choose this university. She had an old
er sister at Texas A&M, and she really liked the traditions. But
it was not just the atmosphere that brought her to Aggieland.
“I was really impressed with the team and coaches
here,” Bolton said.
Bolton sees a lot of differences between this team and oth
ers she has been on. She said the Texas A&M Swim Team has
provided more supportive environment than those in the
past, and she and her teammates are a tight-knit group, in
and out of the water.
“Since I’ve been here, the team has been amazing,” she
said. “In the middle of a hard set, people completely out of
breath will stop and say ‘good job.’ I’ve never had that before.”
The training schedule Bolton and the swim team follows
is tough and time-consuming. They do weights weekly, prac
tice for a few hours each weekday and practice on Saturday
mornings as well. This is about as normal of a week as the
swim team gets.
“A normal week? What’s normal?” Bolton said.
Bolton’s teammate, sophomore Tracy Evans, said Bolton
definitely has contributed to the team.
“She is very powerful,” Evans said. “If I was swimming
against her, I’d think she was very intimidating.”
Monica Stroman, another teammate of Bolton’s, said that
the freshman is in control when she swims.
“She’s so composed before she races,” Stroman said, “She’s
so focused.”
Stroman said after Bolton swims, even if she feels she has
not had a good swim, Bolton will not lose her composure.
“She internalizes to make herself a better swimmer,”
Stroman said.
Bolton is just starting her swimming career at Texas A&M,
and her contributions to the team are just beginning. She is
one to watch.
Swan a champion both in the pool and the classroom
By Robert Hollier
Staff writer
Dedication, focus and determination
e qualities athletes must possess to stand
r it among their peers. Benjamin Swan, a
ashman on the Texas A&M Men’s Swim-
ing Team, certainly has stood out so far
U is season.
I' 1 ‘I was impressed with him from
the start. He was a perfect
match for what we needed in
our program.
MEL NASH
MEN'S SWIMMING COACH
Originally from Oregon, Swan has been
dimming since he was six-years old. From
s first competition at the age of seven to
icoming a four-time state champion and
i to competing at Texas A&M, Swan has
mtinued to improve and impress.
Mel Nash, head coach for the men’s
/imming team, said Swan caught his eye
e first time he saw him compete.
“I was impressed with him from the
start,” Nash said. “He was a perfect match
for what we needed in our program. Plus he
is a pretty doggone fast swimmer.”
Sophomore Devin Howard, a teammate
of Swan’s, said he agreed.
“He is one of the most focused people on
the team,” Howard said. “He is always the
first one in the pool. He’s so competitive.”
Not only is Swan a tremendously com
petitive athlete, but he has also excelled as
a student.
As an engineering major, one of his goals
was to have a 3.0 GPR at the end of his first
semester. He made a 4.0 instead. Swan said
he owes most of his success to his family’s
influence and support.
“They set great examples for me. They
told me I could achieve anything I wanted
to achieve,” he said.
Swan also said he owes a lot to his coach.
“He (Nash) has helped me in every way
possible,” Swan said. “He pointed out tech
nique problems I didn’t know I had.”
When asked which event he enjoyed
competing in the most, Swan said he fa
vored the 200-meter individual medley.
“Even though I don’t think I’ve had my
best effort in the 200 yet, it’s still my best
and favorite event,” Swan said.
AJ W*'
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Freshman Benjamin Swan has impressed in the
As a four-time state champion for South
Albany High School in Oregon, Swan was a
highly sought-after recruit.
Swan said he chose to come to Texas
A&M because of the friendly people and the
great atmosphere.
Even though he felt overwhelmed at
first, Swan said he has adjusted well to the
MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion
water as well as in the classroom this year.
new environment. However, one of the
things he misses most about Oregon is the
mountains.
“I really enjoy mountain biking and
hunting as my other hobbies,” he said.
With three more years of competition
ahead for him, Swan has a tremendous
chance to become one of A&M’s best.
Rockets fall to
Nets in overtime
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)
— The Houston Rockets were dis
tracted, dismayed and on edge. Sur
prisingly, they still managed to play
a competitive game.
On a day of swirling trade rumors
involving a proposed deal that
would sent Damon Stoudamire to
the Rockets, the New Jersey Nets
made matters worse for Houston as
Jayson Williams had 25 points and
19 rebounds Wednesday night in a
117-112 overtime victory.
“It was like a morgue in here
tonight,” Charles Barkley said. “It’s
been a crazy day for the team, the
team is kind of in shock. It’s a tough
situation right now. One of the most
difficult situations I’ve ever had to
play in.”
He said it was something that
could not be put aside.
“They are miserable,” Kevin
Willis said of the team. “I hate to see
that because I give my all, Tm very
dedicated, I’m a fighter and a team
player and I enjoy this group of guys.
Hopefully I’ll continue to.”
The overtime loss brought a dis
appointing finish to a day most of
the Rockets would rather forget. <
Rumors ran rampant that the
Rockets were ready to pull the trig
ger on a trade that would have sent
Willis, Mario Elie and another
player — Matt Maloney, Brent
Price or Emanuel Davis — to the
Raptors for Stoudamire, Walt
Williams and Zan Tabak.
“No question it was very diffi
cult to come out and play,” Mal
oney said. “This has been a long
day for a lot of us, there has been a
lot of anticipation.”
Duncan, Purdue
lead Spurs to win
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Will Per
due tied his career-high with 19
points and had 14 rebounds, leading
the San Antonio Spurs past the At
lanta Hawks 90-76Wednesday night.
The Spurs scored on their first
five possessions for a 10-0 lead.
Tim Duncan had 23 points and
David Robinson 12 as San Antonio
won for the 18th time in 21 games.
Eldridge Recasner had 16 points
for the Hawks, who shot only 35.1
percent. Steve Smith added 13
points, but shot 4-for-12.Duncan
scored 11 points in the first quar
ter as the Spurs took a 27-12 lead.
Atlanta hit on only 11 of 37 shots in
the first half and trailed 50-30 at
the break.
Getting his first start of the sea
son, Perdue scored seven points in
the third quarter and helped San
Antonio take a 76-46 lead.
The Hawks went on a 22-4 run
to start the fourth period and
closed to 80-68 with 4:07 to play on
a basket by Anthony Miller.
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