Ephs turn mean in the chlorine Win sixth-straight NESCAC title, Panthers place fourth

Author: Jake Cohen

You may have seen a whole bunch of bald-headed students running around campus this week. No, it is not the rebirth of an "American History X" cult - it is the men's swim team. This weekend the team finished in fourth place in the NESCAC championship after three days of intense competition. Ten school records were set, four individual titles were captured and a total of 16 Middlebury finishers qualified for Nationals. And, to top it off, Peter Solomon, who is in his 10th season, was named Coach of the Year.

Despite a series of injuries, sicknesses and other adversities, the men's swim team fully recuperated and established itself as a force to be seriously considered in the NESCAC. There were four standout stars this weekend: Schuyler Beeman '10, Kevin O'Rourke '09, John Dillon '10 and Ryan Marklewitz '11. All four competitors set school records and all of them qualified for the national meet in Oxford, Ohio on March 20-22.

O'Rourke won both the 500- and 200-yard freestyle events and Beeman took first in the 50-yard freestyle.

Dillon won the 100-yard fly title and is currently ranked second in the nation going into the big show. At the start of the meet, Marklewitz was plagued by illness and was thought to be unfit to compete. Lo and behold, the first-year rose to the occasion on the second day of the meet and placed second in both freestyle distance events and shattered previous school records in both.

Times have certainly changed. Upperclassmen will remember well that the swim team's season was canceled two years ago after allegations of violating college rules. "That was absolutely the low point of my career," said tri-captain Robbie Burton '08 of his sophomore year.

But that tarnished reputation served as fuel for the upperclassmen who wanted to restore the integrity of the team. "This meet was the culmination of the revival of the swim team," said Burton. "We did it - the team is alive, well and thriving. It's something the senior class takes a lot of pride in."

Since the incident two years ago, the team has rallied beyond belief and created one of the tightest knit groups in all of Middlebury athletics.

Alumnus Alex Demas '06 attended the meet and explained that the swim team used to be about "the development of a brotherhood, a fellowship of sharing this incredible bond and amazing journey from the winter training trip all the way to this exact event."

That is exactly what the team managed to do this season. Patrick "Cob" Burton '10 was impressed with the way the team meshed this year. "After spending so much time together both in the pool and out, we formed inseparable bonds," he said. "The dedication to the development of that chemistry from top to bottom, senior to freshman, was fantastic."

The elder Burton echoed his brother's sentiments. "There were no cliques on the team," he said. "You swim for the team, not for yourself. Everyone was swimming for everyone."

It was this selflessness that made the swim team so close and will continue to distinguish the Panthers for years.

Led by veteran seniors, the team has finally returned to the pinnacle of that camaraderie.