A Week in the Life of Juliet Suess

The following log is from Juliet Suess, a first-year from St. Charles, IL. Read on to see what life has held for Juliet in her first several weeks @ Oxy!

So, this is the first Juliet entry, which I know is pretty late. But I guess nothing really has happened until the last week. I mean I guess I got to Oxy, started classes, got acclimated to college life, met some cool new people (including my twin Caroline Change), and did a few fun things. The REALLY fun stuff happened last week.

Juliet Suess & Caroline Chang

Well on Thursday, my FAVORITE show in the WHOLE WIDE world, NCIS came and filmed at Oxy. And it was the best thing ever. I went and met all the stars, and I got Ducky to say hello to Ian, which he thought was super awesome even though he thought I was being super lame because I was jumping off the walls. Here are a few pictures from the NCIS set and me with some of the cast members.

Anthony DiNozzo & Juliet

Juliet & Ducky

Thursday night, Kaitlyn Dritl came onto campus, who was my recruit for the weekend; later that night, Ricka Syadfjklajdnzdahjfk (I cannot spell it, Sorry!!) came into town also. So over the next 24 hours I told them how awesome Oxy is and why they should come here, as if NCIS wasn’t reason enough.

Friday night was our first official practice...and it was an INTERSQUAD!! The recruit that was staying with me sadly left before the meet, but the other ten watched the Stripes (YEAHHH!!) dominate the Claws. The meet was awesome with everyone cheering for everyone even though the meet was just for fun. Then we all went to bed at 7:35 at night because we had practice the next day.

Saturday morning, we had our first official practice which I thought I was going to die at and it ended up not being as bad as I thought. Alex made us think we were going to run a mile and I almost cried, but it turned out we didn’t have to, thank God. Then we had a super fun team beach day at Manhattan Beach, which I had never been to before. We played some beach volleyball which my team also won (I wish I could say I helped with that…but still a trend is forming here). That night, we had SPLATTER, a campus-wide party. There aren’t words to describe the fun that ensued at SPLATTER. There was paint everywhere and people dancing on top of everyone, but it was an amazingly awesome time.

Ian Mariani having been "Splattered"

The real fun began at practice on Monday when we did 4,900 yards. And Tuesday when we all got incredibly sore, but in the amazing way where you cannot walk up the hill to get to your dorm and it takes 16 minutes to walk up for morning practice, but you feel so accomplished because you are sore from working as hard as you can. Gooooood times I tell ya. Then yesterday after our 800 kick for time, we did a 400 buddy kick, which the whole team did in a line.

That's all for now!

Picture from La Jolla Open Water Swim!

Pictured from left to right:

Jack Butcher '14, Claire Coddington '11, Miner Ross '11, Riley Kimball '12, and Tim Healy '14

Oxy Swimmers @ La Jolla!!

It's been a while since our last post...but what better way to update everyone with an account of the La Jolla swim from First-year Ian Mariani. Enjoy!

Taylor Pool felt like a bathtub today compared to the 61 degree water of La Jolla, where 5 studly Tigers took on what seemed like the entire swimming population of Southern California (and even some from Arizona) at the La Jolla Rough Water Swim. In the early hours of our much-cherished Sunday morning, 17 swimmers boarded two Oxy vans bound south for La Jolla. On arrival it was instantly clear that the water temperature was not the only worry for the 5 swimmers, as the fog lay thick over the entire stretch of the beach. Needless to say the 80 degree heat of Oxy was sorely missed.

Claire Coddington was the first to compete, swimming hard through the colder patches of the water and countless other swimmers, finishing strongly in the first big section of swimmers. Later on in the day, Miner Ross and Riley Kimball swam together in the Men’s Masters Division, both finishing very strongly around the 25 minute mark. Miner’s success is partly due to the courageous efforts of Claire and Juliet Seuss, who literally flung a replacement pair of goggles to Miner when his broke minutes before the starting whistle. Rounding out the day at 1:30, freshmen Jack Butcher and Tim Healy competed in the 17-18 division, both of them overcoming the harsh competition to finish strongly, an optimistic indicator for the two distance swimmers for this coming year.

Just as commendable were the 12 swimmers that came along to cheer on their fellow Tigers, as well as all taking a dip themselves in the chilly water before the buses packed up and headed for home, stopping only once for a team lunch at In-n-Out. Season kicks off next week with an intrasquad meet and then the first Saturday practice of the year, at which point the Tigers will again road trip to the beach, hopefully with warmer water.

Junior Claire Coddington Studying in Thailand!

While we were sad to see Claire miss the team's Championship season, she had the opportunity to have an experience of a lifetime in Thailand! Above is a picture as well as a little write-up of the group's experience.

Tigers in Action

Team captain Jeven Dovey recently proved himself to be not only an outstanding swimmer, but also a star filmmaker at the 2010 Senior Film Comps.

Jeven on site at Oxy

Over 900 people showed up to watch the premiers in Thorne Hall, and the tiger swimmers proudly occupied an entire row in support of Jeven. Make sure to check out the trailer for Jeven's film below:

How do Tigers like their meat?

(Raw! Raw! Raw!)

Tiger swimmers Sara Damore, Austen Oliver, and Lauren Howarth lift their way to the top!

Happy Birthday, Coach Kuhn!

This past week (April 8th) was Coach Kuhn's birthday. Since a funfetti cake and a funny card were to be expected, we decided that the only way to really show him we cared was to surprise him. And what better way to surprise our favorite coach than with an office full of balloons? We blew up ca. 200 balloons on Wednesday evening, snuck into his office (with the help of campus safety) late that night, and tried not to let out any hints before he got into his office Thursday morning. The result was better than we could've imagined:

The team (and a few helpers) walking the balloons down to Athletics.

Team members Danielle Garcia, Sara Damore, Austen Oliver, Zack Condon, Mili Kale, and Joe Reynolds waiting for the building to be unlocked.

A job well done.

Austen Oliver, Audrey Akcasu, and Alex Budig examining the damage from the pool deck.

Happy Birthday, Coach!

End of the Year Dessert Banquet! April 2, 2010

On Friday, April 2, the team held its annual end of the season banquet! This year, with the help of the Athletic Trainers (thanks Kelly and Laura!), the team enjoyed a variety of desserts from Chocolate Mouse Pudding to a favorite of everyone's...Rice Krispie Treats!

From a vote by team members, the following individuals were selected by their peers for the following awards:

Most Valuable Player - Sarah Sharpe & Jeven Dovey
Most Improved Player - Izzy Mayer & Richard Dybas
Most Inspirational - Audrey Akcasu

Take a look at some of the pictures below!

Pictures from the Dessert Banquet

It is true...they really enjoyed the desserts THAT MUCH!

Miner after the picture finally let Budig breathe.

Maybe the first picture we were able to get with everyone smiling an no one's eyes shut!

You had to go mess that one up Tai...

Definitely a Hall of Fame Picture Audrey! Way to support her Sara and Lauren!

Next time this group is together and dressed this nicely...Graduation! Congratulations Seniors!

So What Did Those Oxy Swimmers/Divers Do Over Spring Break?

Several of our swimmers (Sara Damore, Lauren Howarth, and Austen Oliver) took the time to take a road trip back to Arizona to meet friends and enjoy the ope road together. They also met someone very famous along the way...


Lauren and Austen with Pro Bowl All-Star, Larry Fitzgerald

Pictures from SCIAC's

More to Come...as I get them from the team!

Final Day @ SCIAC's

I know what you are saying...it's about time you got the last day up there! So what did the team do on the last day? Let's start off the highlight reel with Jeven Dovey's 200 Breaststroke. With the cheering of the Occidental Swimming & Diving program, Jeven swam at an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 2:07.92 and finished in 3rd place. His mark was even more impressive considering his previous time was swum in a full body LZR. Other highlights include:

- Senior Adam Kantor swam a personal best in the 100 freestyle (47.08). After a somewhat dissappointing prelim swim, he decided that he wanted to prove he was one of the best sprinters in the conference. Adam took the lead on the first length and never looked back. His teammate Stephen Ratkovich also swam a lifetime best of 48.08 and placing 14th.

- First-year Alena Morris made it 2 for 2 in the butterfly events as she reached the finals of the 200 butterfly. Swimming with nothing to lose, she completed the 8 lengths in 2:16.15 to rank as one of the top freshman butterfliers in the conference and establish herself as a threat for 3 more years.

- Also achieving a personal best with first-year Lauren Howarth swimming a 54.90 in the consolation finals. After squeeking in with a 55.95, Lauren followed a strategy of taking the lead and holding on. It was clearly the right strategy as she moved up 4 places into 11th.

There were just so many excellent performances by the team. From the men's 400 Free Relay, which they swam to the 2nd fastest time in school history (previous time was set in 1974!) to Sara Mendoza and Mili Kale finishing top 12 in the 1650. It was a team effort.

That team effort produced the following upsets. The women lost to LaVerne by 19 points during the dual meet season. The Tiger Women took 5th place by more than 99 points over the squad!

As for the men, despite being ranked behind the team of Cal Lutheran on the psych sheet as well as losing the dual meet by over 60 points, the team pulled the upset and secured 4th place by a mere 8 points.

This weekend was a team effort and our focus as we head into the future is the same as it is now...on the OXY SWIMMING & DIVING FAMILY!!! To everyone who followed us this year, thank you so much for your support. To those who will be joining the family next year, get ready to do even bigger and better things!

So Much Going on in Day 2....I Forgot Prelim Results!

How good was Day 2? It was so good...I didn't get up results from the Prelims! We had personal best, top ten school swims set, and the men's team moving up in the rankings. Whether you were a senior, first-year, male, female, diver, swimmer...you had a personal best!

Congratulations first goes to the team's first NCAA B qualifying mark, which was earned by Sarah Sharpe on the 1m diving competition. Her score of 417 was highlighted by scoring 8's and 9's on her last two dives! It was a 1-2 Oxy finish as Marisa Pulcrano improved on her 3rd place seeding to finish in second. What a great start to finals!

Having gone a 5:00.95 in the 400 IM prelim swims, Sara Mendoza had her eyes set on breaking the 5:00 mark...and boy did she ever! Swimming from start to finish with 100% focus, not only did she swim a 4:53.69, she also came from behind to out-touch a SCIAC competitor to improve her final placing.

Senior #2, Adam Kantor, had what turned into an inspiring performance for the men that set a positive tone for the evening. Having finished 7th in the morning, the field was bunched together and any position from 3-8 was open. With an underwater kick that was lethal, Adam improved to finish in a 52.11 and place 5th.

And finally, senior #3, Jeven Dovey, showed that just because there are no LZR's doesn't mean you can't swim faster! In just a speedo brief, Jeven swam a personal best of 59.64 in the 100 Breaststroke to finish in 5th place and cement himself as one of the best breaststrokers in Occidental history.

Now that we talked about all of the seniors, how about we finish Day 2's highlights with a first-year that I am truly proud of. Alena Morris dropped 3 seconds from her season best to finish her first finals in a 1:00.77 (100 Butterfly).

As I sign off, it's hard to describe the energy and cheering that is taking place by our squad. Once we return back to the home of the Occidental Swimming & Diving squad, look for serious, competitive...and maybe a few funny pictures. Take care!

-Alex Kuhn

First Day of Competition

WOW! What an amazing first day of competition. After all was said and done, both the men and women stood in 5th place, each getting to their respective positions with different highlights.

The team awarded Danielle Garcia as Oxy performer of the day as she took on a very challenging task of swimming both relays, plus swimming in the competitive 200 IM and 50 freestyle. She placed in each of the events and helped the 200 Free Relay establish the 2nd fastest performance in Oxy History.

Rewriting the history books was the quartet of Stephen Ratkovich, Miner Ross, Zach Condon, and Adam Kantor. With a time of 1:26.12, the fearsome foursome broke the school record that was previously established in 1995!

The competition has been fast, but Oxy has not only risen up to the challenge, but also has improved upon it's position heading into the Championship.

Tomorrow, the color of the day is Black! Get those Oxy shirts out and send a "Io Triumphe" at 9am.

First SCIAC Champion....From Occidental!

Junior Sarah Sharpe is the SCIACs first winner as she scored 405.75 to win by over 30 points. Not only did Sharpe perform "oxy-some", Marisa took 3rd place to also earn All-Conference honors.

Sunday Prelims - Amazing Start!!!

This note comes to you live from the Belmont Plaza as the Oxy Swimming & Diving squad competes at the SCIAC Championships! After preliminary swims of the first day, how is the team doing? One Word - Amazing! Here are some of the highlights from the meet.

- The 500 freestyle group dropped a combined 135 seconds!! Highlights include Zach Condon finaling with a time of 4:48.37, with Austrn Oliver placing 15th in a 4:55.84

- The 200 IM saw a personal best by Danielle Garcia (15th and in consols) and Jeven Dovey (1:58.32 - 6th). From the coaches corner, this is the event he expects thie biggest time drops from morning swims.

- My o My the 50! Placing 14-15-16 is the youth movement of sprints, first-years Lauren Howarth, Danielle Garcia, and Alena Morris will battle in a field that is wide open. With 3 guys swimming under the 22 mark, Adam Kantot will lead the charge in consols as he placed 10th after prelims.

More to come, stay tuned to the Wide World of Oxy Swimming & Diving.

SCIAC CHAMPIONSHIPS - HOME OF THE OXY UPDATES!!!!

Please check our blog out for your most up-to-date happenings of the Oxy Swimming & Diving Family at SCIAC's.

In the mean time...just remember this cheer will be sung a lot this weekend!

Io Triumphe! Io Triumphe!

Haben Swaben, Rebeka le Animor

Whoopty Whoopty, Shelerdy Veridy

Boomdy Raldy Idee-pah

Honeka-heneka Whacka Whacka

Hobdob Boldebara-Boldebara

Com-slomidy Hob-Dob-Rah!

O.C. Rah!

Great Start to SCIAC's!!!!

Junior's Sarah Sharpe & Marisa Pulcrano finished 1-2 on the 3m and 1-3 on the 1m boards this past weekend! Each qualified for the Championship Final, which will be held at Belmont Plaza on Feb 21-22. You gotta check out the story from the first day (and the great pictures).

http://www.oxyathletics.com/sports/sd/2009-10/021310wsd_DivingPrelims

Occidental Senior Day!!!

Austen Oliver running through the "Oxy Tunnel"

Group Hug just before their "Io Triumphe" Cheer!
From Left to Right, Sara Mendoza, Audrey Akcasu, Will Carlson, Adam Kantor, Jeven Dovey, and Austen Oliver.