Water Vike Update December 2018 Edition

A Note from Head Coach Paul Graham...

Hello, It's hard to believe that we are into the month of December and the year is coming to a close. During this season, it is a common practice to give to each other. One great part about being a Viking is the opportunity to give year round! Whether it is giving to yourself, teammates or the surrounding community, this group of young adults has given so much. I want to acknowledge all those Vikings from the past along with this current group for the love and dedication given to this program, department and university. Many, many thanks to all that have given to Viking swimming & diving!   Please enjoy this time with loved ones!! -Paul

10th Annual Kids Kicking Cancer!

We kicked off the month by participating in our CSU Swim & Dive 10th annual Kids Kicking Cancer! Our program partners with University Hospitals and Rainbow Babies to host a free swim clinic for any children (and their siblings!) who have been affected by cancer. After being in the water, our team members and coaching staff ate lunch with the families. It was a great day to connect with our community and give back on December 1st! Here are pictures from the event... Be sure to check out the video, too!

Spreading Holiday Cheer: Adopt a Family

Gratitude is a practice and our team is grateful for the holiday blessings we have. In practicing gratitude, our team adopted a local Cleveland family for this holiday season. Team members and support staff collected money to buy gifts and giftcards for the family (a single mother with three children). After purchasing these gifts, we had a wrapping party to make sure the presents could be delivered!

Competing in December: Meet at Ashland

On Saturday, December 8, our team traveled down I-71 and competed against Ashland University. We swam some different events, including the 50s and 150s of strokes. Both CSU programs were victorious over the Eagles. This was our only meet in December, as we have turned our attention to Winter Training. We kick off 2019 in Indianapolis on January 11-12 against IUPUI and UIC.

Extra Mile Campaign: Only 6 Lockers Left!

YES , your participation in our Extra Mile campaign can still make a difference and honor Coach Wally Morton! While the general fundraising campaign ended on December 7th, we’re still accepting donations of any level (especially “final lap” contributions of $50 and $100). Click here to donate! There are still 6 available lockers to sponsor. If you sponsor one of these remaining 6 lockers, then you can personalize your own plaque to put in the locker (see below).

To those who have already donated to our campaign, THANK YOU! We greatly appreciate your support. If you have sponsored a locker, please start to consider how you'd like to design your plaque. We will be reaching out to you soon.

Special Visitor at Busbey Natatorium

Coach Morton brought Peter van Dijk to Busbey Natatorium on Monday, December 17. Peter was the architect who built Busbey Natatorium in 1974. Peter raised his family in Cleveland and he is a USMS swimmer. He will be turning 90 in February and can't wait to hop back in the pool. We were lucky to have Peter come by and see the facility!

Holiday Blessings from Cleveland

Whether you're traveling for the holidays or staying in the comfort of your home, we wish you a very blessed and happy holiday season! Be "merry" and enjoy the time with family and friends. We also want to wish you a Happy New Year. We hope 2019 is full of exciting endeavors and opportunities to learn & grow!

Shout-Out to Our December Birthdays

December: Coach Kevin Rapien (2nd) Gracyn McQueary (3rd) Madi Jaszcz (21st) Molly McNamara (24th) Peyton Rudman (25th) Andrius Kijauskas (29th)

Upcoming Events

1/1:   Team reports in San Juan, Puerto Rico for Training Trip 1/11: Away Meet at IUPUI (against IUPUI and UIC), 6:00 pm (co-ed meet) 1/12: Away Meet at IUPUI (against IUPUI and UIC), 10:00 am (co-ed meet) 1/19: Away Meet at Marshall University, 1:00 pm (women only) 1/26: Home Meet against Oakland University, 1:00 pm (co-ed meet) ***Senior Night*** 2/8-2/10: Michigan Open Invitational, Oakland University 2/13-2/16: Horizon League Championship, Indianapolis, IN

Didn't catch our November newsletter? Click here to read it!

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Women's Team Webpage // Men's Team Webpage

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