Sprinting to the finish
Second year swimmer helps guide team into contention for state title.
Reyes Miranda
Issue date: 5/9/05 Section: Sports
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BANG
You jump in, the cool liquid a relief to the tension felt above water. The difficulty of waiting is in the past, everything is a blur and it's just a grind to the finish.
These are the thoughts racing through the mind of Western State Conference Swimmer of the Year Cheyne O'Gorman before one of the eight events that he participates in.
"You just try to pump out as fast as you can, hit the wall ... look up and hopefully you're set," O'Gorman said.
A communication major, O'Gorman is headed to Arizona State University in the fall on a 62 percent scholarship, where he hopes to reach his full potential.
"I just want to take my swimming to the fastest level possible, compete with the best so when you look over there and you look over here and you have Olympic guys right next to you and you're right there with them," he said " I'm not really saying I'm going to do this or I'm going to do that, I just want to put in everything that I can and see how far I can go."
With O'Gorman's success in and out of the pool (holds above a 3.0 GPA), teammates believe the 2004 National Community College All-American and defending state champion in three events has a great opportunity to accomplish his dreams.
"He's inspiring, because he'll make you work hard and he'll make you want to be here and also at the same time he'll just go so blow-your-mind fast, it's just inspiring," first-year teammate Shane Scoggins said.
"We look to him for everything as a role model, not only in the pool but out of the pool in life. He's just a great person," first-year teammate RJ Gruter said.
"I'm on the front side [relay] so I know he has my back on the back side ... I know that if we're even somewhere close it's going to be ours, if we're within half a pool length it's ours. He'll catch anybody," first-year teammate Justine Burdine said in reference to the state championship meet held Thursday, May 5-Saturday, May 7.
Although swimming is O'Gorman's passion, he grew up playing basketball in San Diego and if it weren't for his friend's persuasion to play water polo, he might not be where he is today.
"I loved sprinting for the ball and got moved up to varsity my freshman year and just continued from there," O'Gorman said.
VC and WSC Coach of the Year Larry Baratte is happy that O'Gorman chose the pool over the court.
" We have a young team dominated by freshmen and the direction of the team follows Cheyne, Jesse [Marin] and Nate [Isbell]," Baratte said, " It's going to come down to three teams and we're right in the middle of them and Cheyne gives us an advantage. I'm glad he's on our team."