Junior sets future goals in and out of pool

Most would consider Kevin Swander a laid-back type of guy, but there seems to be nothing laid back about him. When it comes to his swimming stats, this 6-foot-1 junior from Greenwood, Ind., controls them all. \nIt wasn't always like that. Swander was a highly regarded athlete in high school. He was a National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association All-American his junior and senior year, but he had a hard time coping at the collegiate level when he attended Auburn his freshman year. \nDuring the middle of his freshman season, Swander transferred to IU and later placed 26th in the 100-meter breaststroke in the Big Ten. Unhappy with his results, Swander set higher goals for his next season. \nWith more focus and a taste for victory, Swander led all others in the Big Ten and won the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 53.1 seconds. \n"It was surreal." Swander said. "It gave our team a huge boost of confidence."\nSwander prepares for his day at 4:45 a.m. each morning. First, he scurries to swim practice at 5:15 a.m. Then he prepares for his afternoon classes, which will include several criminal justice classes next semester. With a 3.0 grade point average, Swander is focusing on sports administration with a minor in criminal justice. \nBeing a student athlete isn't the easiest thing to do, Swander said. \n"It's hard," he said. "I'm up from 5 a.m. until 10:30 (p.m.)."\nIU men's swimming coach Ray Looze describes Swander as "terrific" and acknowledges the leadership potential he has. \n"(Kevin) is an elite athlete," Looze said. "He is an emerging leader that often leads the team by example." \nSwander recognizes his ability to lead by example. He improves his performance in meets to show the younger guys they can beat their opponents. Sophomore Scott Tanner looks up to his older teammate and notices his hard work-ethic. \n"He is a very determined guy," Tanner said. "Kevin stands up in team meetings and tells us how he thinks we're performing and tries to push us in close matches."\nSwander has ambitions of becoming a head swim coach for a Division I university someday. But first, he wants to achieve several other things. Before graduating from IU's undergraduate program with a 3.3 GPA, Swander wants to set the American 100-meter breaststroke record and qualify to swim at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His ambition and work-ethic are "great and emerging." \nLooze thinks Swander has grown and is continuing to grow into a great athlete for IU's swim program. \n"In watching his metamorphosis as a swimmer," Looze said, "I've learned a lot."\n-- Contact staff writer Ricardo Hernandez at rihernan@indiana.edu.