Dartmouth swimming on way back from deep end

Just over one year ago, this weekend's meet at Sheerr Pool would have looked dramatically different.

Just over one year ago, the entire swimming world shook, the scope of the Ivy League changed.

When Dartmouth cut its men's and women's swimming programs on Nov. 25, 2003, in response to university-wide budget cuts, students who had never been to a meet and had no clue about what events made up the medley relay rallied to support a cause. Dartmouth swimming found friends it never knew it had.

On the day of the decision, hundreds gathered outside President James Wright's house on campus to make their voices heard.

Less than a month later, the swim team mobilized close to 700 students to stage a sit-in in Parkhurst Hall -- Dartmouth's administrative building -- while the captains had a meeting with Wright.

"It was unprecedented in the sense that about 700 people showed up," said Dartmouth Vice President for Student Life Amit Anand, at the time. "There was a lot of anger there. People just took over the building and chanted for President Wright and Provost [Barry] Sheerr to come out."

The swim teams were determined and so were the Dartmouth students.

One year after Dartmouth swimming fought to breathe, the Big Green make the trip to West Philadelphia to participate in a tri-meet with Yale and Penn.

They aren't just happy to be alive, either.

Where last year's season was broken into chunks and swimmers had to worry about whether their passion would be slashed at the end of the season, this year the Big Green have the chance to concentrate on one task -- swimming.

"Dartmouth's experienced a rebirth, and everybody in our league is happy -- not only that they saved their program, but they're doing great," Penn coach Mike Schnur said.

The Big Green have already defeated two Eastern Interscholastic Swimming League foes -- Brown and Navy. Last week, Penn fell to the Bears in a meet that went down to the final event.

"I think last year would have been a much better season than we saw , had we not had to deal with everything else -- facing the uncertainty that there would be no season in the future," Dartmouth senior Scott Trubisz said.

They're certainly the real deal now.

In December, senior Thomas Sanford was named Eastern Collegiate Athletic Association Swimmer of the Week -- he and the rest of Dartmouth's butterfly crew could cause damage against the Quakers' lineup this weekend.

It isn't only the experienced swimmers who are stepping up, however.

Even in the midst of the chaos last year, Dartmouth managed to recruit its current freshman class, which has made serious contributions to this year's squad.

"We had a couple of girls who just really wanted to come in general, whether there was swimming or not," Dartmouth sophomore Cary Telander said. "We're just really lucky we have them."

After two months of continual petitioning by the Dartmouth student body and even the Board of Trustees, the administration relented from its original position, and reinstated the swimming programs. Through grants from alumni and a nation-wide campaign to raise funds for the team, the $212,000 for the Dartmouth swimming program is now supported by individuals.

Months after the event came to a close, Dean of Dartmouth College, James Larimore, sent a letter to all of the members of the team, congratulating them about how the program would now be supported by individuals. But several swimmers felt that the letter was self-righteous on the part of Larimore, claiming that he was instrumental in the process.

"We're the ones who are raising money -- we know. It was kind of obnoxious." Telander said.

Her father, Rick, a sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote a feature in the double-issue of Sports Illustrated to conclude the 2003 calendar year that referenced the letter.

For awhile, it hung on the Telander refrigerator with large, red writing across it. Her handwriting read: "BULLSHIT." She no longer has the document.

Trubisz has similar sentiments about the letter.

"In my mind, [Larimore] ended up taking personal credit for bringing back the team, for something that wouldn't have needed to happen if he didn't endorse the decision in the first place," he said. "The tone as celebratory rubbed us the wrong way."

But both Dartmouth swimmers are moving past the events of last year, no matter the pain they felt at the time.

"I'm trying to just put it behind me right now," Telander said. "We were all really upset. I guess I would just say I'm still bitter, but trying to get over it."

Dartmouth's trip won't be the only story on deck tomorrow afternoon. After nearly four years of obliterating the Sheerr record board, Penn's seniors -- the first class Schnur recruited -- will compete in their final Ivy League dual meet of their lives.

"I'm having so many 'lasts,'" Penn co-captain Rachel Zappalorti said. "It's starting to hit me that my swimming career is coming to a close."

Emotion will ride the waves made in Sheerr Pool throughout tomorrow afternoon. After all, this is an Ivy League meet, and nothing is taken for granted any longer.

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