What it’s like making the 2016 US Olympic Swim Trials as a sophomore
You thought 8am classes were a pain? Try 6am practice
Gunther Cassell, a rising sophomore, gave The Tab an inside look on what it’s like to be a NCAA Division I student athlete at Penn State with a dream of becoming the next Olympian.
Why did you choose Penn State for swimming?
I chose Penn state for swimming because of its intensity of athletics. I feel that the Penn State swim team was the perfect fit for me in terms of the camaraderie of the team and the coaching staff. Both offer many opportunities for me to become a better swimmer.
Gunther Cassel on the left
How did you get started swimming?
I started swimming competitively when I was 10 years old. I started by swimming with the local YMCA team and then later moved to Long Island Express, where I would spend the rest of my time training before leaving for Penn State. I felt that I had to somehow follow in my father’s footsteps and make him proud, as he was once a swimmer for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. I’ve been in love with the sport ever since.
How do you balance schoolwork and swimming?
To balance schoolwork and swimming, I will meet with my academic counselors every Monday to create a weekly schedule of what is due when. By doing this, I am able to stay organized and on top of my academics.
Do you feel like you’re experiencing an authentic college life?
I am able to experience a college lifestyle to my own discretion. Penn State offers many ways to get involved with other students and to help the community. That is what makes this institution so great.
What it is a typical workout?
A typical workout schedule in the winter and spring would consist of lifting from 6-7 in the morning and swimming from 7am until 8am afterwards on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Then on Tuesdays and Thursday’s we will swim from 6-8 in the morning. For afternoon practices, they run from 2-4 and 4-6 Monday through Friday. In terms of yardage, that greatly varies.
Credit: nbc olympics
When did you know you wanted to compete in the Olympics?
I didn’t necessarily know when I wanted to start chasing after an Olympic dream; it’s just a matter of qualifying for Olympic Trials. I started training more and more intensely when I moved to Long Island Express and I eventually just began to drop time as the years went on. Both big chunks of time and small. It wasn’t until the summer of my sophomore year of high school that I realized I could have a chance of making an Olympic Trials cut, seeing that I began to get much faster and stronger. Sure enough, in the summer of my junior year, I was able to make two trials cuts: the 100-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter breaststroke.
How does one make it to the Olympic Trials?
The procedure is one must first make an Olympic Trials cut in order to attend the Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. From there, all qualifiers compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. The U.S. Olympic committee will only take the top two swimmers who win overall per event to the Olympics.
What’s your plan until the Olympic Trials?
My plan for trials is to train with Penn State. Practices have been paying off and I have been responding well to the training. I believe that I am ready and that I will swim well.
What do you think for your future regarding swimming?
I’m not sure what my plans for the future will be in terms of swimming, but I can assure you that’s a long way down the road and I haven’t given it a single thought. I just like to focus on the here and now because that is what will determine what my plans are for my future.
Gunther will take his aquatic talents to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swim Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. The trials will be held from June 26-July 3 and will serve as the only selection meet for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
He is scheduled to swim on Monday, June 27 in 100 breaststroke and Wednesday, June 29 at 10 a.m. in 200 breast as well as twelve other Penn State swimmers.
Make sure to watch two Nittany Lions competing in the water, Shane Ryan with Ireland and John Nunez with the Dominican Republic in Rio. Gunter could be the next one to trade blue and white for red, white and blue, who knows.