…Erik Vendt!! Wishing you a great birthday!

Erik Vendt swam in the Tiburon Open Water Mile Swim today. I don’t know if that is the offical title but I’m going to call it that. He did an amazing job swimming across from Angel Island to Tiburon Docks (?) to place 3rd. The winner was a german fellow. It was brawl at the end. Brutally stroke slapping, pushing, and possible biting at the end of the race!!! If anyone lives in the Bay Area, it is cool to watch soooo many people swim across and kinda exciting to see what is going happen at the finish line and it is annual!

I want to give Erik an extra shoutout of love for being sooo friendly and fantastically sweet.

Just one week after the posting of one of the best 20 Question Tuesdays I’ve had the privilege of reading (Erik Vendt), USA Swimming follows it up with yet another great one: Cullen Jones. The more I read about Cullen, the more impressed I get. He’s got a great head on his shoulders and is a class act. Reminds me of another swimmer I am quite fond of. Another great read that will once again keep me looking forward to next Tuesday!

What does everyone else think of Cullen’s feature?

Cullen Jones established himself as one of the top sprinters in the world, winning the 50m free and helping set the world record in the 400m free relay at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships. In this week’s 20 Question Tuesday, he lets our readers know a little bit more about his life outside of the pool, as well as in it.

1 What’s it like being a pro athlete now?
Cullen: Honestly, I didn’t think there was a future in swimming except I was having fun with it. Swimming has always been something fun to me; not something that came “naturally” to me, because I had to work at it quite a bit. But now I am doing something I love, and I am getting paid for it.

2 What’s it like being paid?
Cullen: I had some reporters ask me what it’s like to be paid now, how much different is it, is it a job. And my answer is swimming is something I love, and it is fun. The day that stops, that’s the day I stop swimming. I didn’t get to this point for the money. I love being nervous up on the blocks, and being hungry.

Read the full 20 Question Tuesday with Cullen Jones at USA Swimming.

Hey, did everyone see the wonderful new 20 Question Tuesday feature with Erik? Not only was I missing 20 Question Tuesday every week, but it was even sweeter to see that they reached out to Erik to resume the weekly feature.

Erik Vendt changed after the 2004 Olympic Games. He left swimming and went on a long vacation where he found out a lot about the world and a lot about himself. Vendt tells special correspondent Bob Schaller what he’s learned about himself, and just how he ended up back in the pool again in this week’s 20 Question Tuesday.

1. What is 9-11 like for you?
Erik: It has a weird personal side to it, because it’s my sister’s birthday. Also, it’s very personal because I have really good friends who are in the service, and I think about them on a day like today. I get emotional, but for a different reason than people think. My three good friends are serving. That’s what I am thinking about.

2. Being a New Englander, is the wound still fresh for you?
Erik: Five years down the line…that’s interesting. The freshness and horror of the moment was stuck in my mind for a while. Fortunately or unfortunately, it’s starting to go away a little with time, though I won’t forget what happened. But like I said, I have friends fighting in this war, so 9-11 does mean something extra.

Read more at USA Swimming and keep an eye out for the new SwimStars.org network site dedicated to Erik; opening this fall!

We are equal opportunity supporters of swimmers. So we’re showing some love, on a regular basis, to some swimmers we feel need to be pimped. You know how it is!

Erik Vendt was our inaugural Special Guest for a long while. And now he is set to join the Swim Stars Network with his own site, located at ErikVendt.com. Then we pimped out Cullen Jones. No Swim Stars site for him because Suz is going to be designing his official site in the coming months.

So, now we turn our attention elsewhere; and to a team, and not an individual. We already pimp these boys out far more than they deserve, but we can’t help ourselves. They’re like our crack. We can’t quit them. Ok, enough bad jokes.

Give it up for the University of Michigan & Club Wolverine swimming programs. Yea, we’re predictable. Get over it!

By the way, you can get to this page simply by visiting MGoSwim.com. Clever? Yea, we thought so too. Shout out to our fave U-M blog, MGoBlog!

Michigan Wolverines

According to the newly released CSCAA rankings, the Michigan men are holding steady in the #4 spot. Around here, we reckon they’ll move up before taking a drop. It’s just how things are going to work. As us about it sometime. We’ll drop some sick knowledge on you. (Dec. 5, 2007)

Since everyone else in the Big Ten’s weekend performances paled in comparison, Mr. Matt Patton was rewarded with the “Swimmer of the Week” honor from the conference. It was Mattie P.’s 1st time receiving this award, but we’re certain it won’t be his last! (Dec. 4, 2007)

So, the boys in blue won the Husky Invite out in Seattle over the weekend. Not surprised. We pretty much expect them to do the damn thing, whenever they hit the blocks. The best part? The 2nd place team wasn’t even close to their point total.

Total domination, folks.

Michigan: 1,621.5
Cal: 1,142.5

Here are all the results, in case you want see the pwnage for yourself: Day 1 Finals | Day 2 Finals | Day 3 Finals (Dec. 3, 2007)

Club Wolverine

The Asian has been named to the Team USA roster for the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships in Manchester, England from April 9-13. He’s been selected to swim the 200 Free & the 200 Back at the international competiton. This makes up for not swimming at the Japan International Grand Prix. Good move, CDJ! (Dec. 12, 2007)

PVK & T-DUB!! are going to be doing a clinic together on Dec. 27 in Potomac Valley, VA with the Machine Aquatics Swim Team. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that. We’re sure we would shed a tear with Davis‘ comedy. But will PVK still look like a dear in headlights? We wonder, we wonder. [LINK] (Dec. 11, 2007)

While the NCAA team was in Seattle getting rained on, the post-grads of Club Wolverine were in Hotlanta competing at the USA Swimming Short Course National Championships. While, Swim Aid favorite Ryan Lochte made the biggest splash, the CWers were no slouches!

Phelps was Phelps. Although he is coming off a wrist injury (from being a tool), he still turned in respectable performances, including a hard fought win in the 200y Free over his teammates PVK (2nd), The Asian (3rd), Vendt (7th), & T-Dub (8th). Yea, they’re nicknames. Get over it!

PVK won the 500y Free; an event he holds the American Record in. Erik won the 1650y Free. Davis won the 200y Fly. And the CW 800y Free Relay team set a new American & US Open Record together. Man, if there’s something those Michigan boys do well, it’s the middle distance freestyles!

Club Wolverine won both team titles at Nationals. Represent!

P.S. We’d like to make my prediction for who makes the US Olympic Team for the 800 Free Relay. In order of how much we like them: Vanderkaay, Lochte, Keller, DeJong, Ritter, Phelps. Mark it down, folks! (Dec. 3, 2007)

Links

Recent News Articles

Beijing Contender: Peter Vanderkaay (WCSN)
DeJong’s national relay record makes waves (Grand Rapids Press)
U-M Announces Early Signees (MGoBlue)
DeJong believes he belongs in elite company (Holland Sentinel)

Pictures

We’re working on it! We’ve got a TON!