Inside the Locker Room Michael Young '07 dives into some Campus questions

Author: James Kerrigan

Senior captain Michael Young spent more time pacing the pool's perimeter during the Nov. 18 Middlebury Invitational than he did swimming and diving, but his presence still made a difference. Equipped with crocs, a towel and an encouraging voice, Young helped the men's and women's swimming and diving teams sweep the event and raise expectations for the remainder of the winter season.

The Middlebury Invitational featured primarily swimming events, but the one time the diver did gracefully enter the pool, he came out a winner. In the mixed 100 yard 4 X 25 diver relay, Young, along with Brooks Farrar '10, Claire Gogolen '08 and Susan Read '09, took the title with a time of 50.38.

The first event of the season lacked a diving element, but such will not be the case for the rest of the season. Young and other divers will be judged on both one and three meter dives.

Gogolen, Young's teammate on the mixed diver relay, knew what it took to win the event on Nov. 18, but does she know what Young is up to outside of the Natatorium? Samantha Rivera '07, one of Young's LaForce suitemates, might have an advantage in the Young's-hygiene category, but does she know what it is like to be with the diver in the pool and inside the locker room?

Like New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, Samantha Rivera was dominant when it mattered most. The roommates kicked off the winter season with a decisive win as Rivera set the bar high for future contestants

Young's grandmother appears to be the star of Thanksgiving as several mentions of her outstanding cooking were referenced. Additionally, Young noted that his grandmother makes a mean leftover sandwich on the Friday after Thanksgiving complete with cranberry sauce and stuffing. Hopefully the extra servings from the holiday will not affect Young's performance in the air or the size of his splash.

Young affirmed that Thursdays are his favorite day, but he will be looking forward doing most of his work in the pool on weekends for the rest of the winter.

Rivera also correctly identified Young's most frequently played song on iTunes - "When you Sleep" by Cake. While success at the Middlebury Invitational was a cake-walk, that will surely change in the near future.

Next up for Young, Gogolen and the rest of the squad is a meet against Amherst, who beat both the men and the women last year, on Saturday at 1 p.m.