The Milan News-Leader
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Seniors ready for last two weeks of season
Hard work prepares Big Reds for 'last chance' meets
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 1, 2007
Brazilian exchange student and senior on the Milan swim team Leandro Gabrielzyk had one word to describe his only season with the Big Reds
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"Crazy," he said with a smile. "Crazy."
The other four Big Red seniors — Ryan Bordine, Kyle Cornelison, Jason Schroeder and Jon Hansen –– wouldn't disagree that the dedication and grueling practices required by their sport might cause some outside the team to express some doubts about their sanity.
But with their Milan careers only two meets away from ending, the five seniors also agreed that the craziness had been worth it.
"We really are kind of like a family," Bordine said. "Seeing it all go away is going to be tough."
"I'm not going to miss waking up at 5 a.m. to come in to practice," Schroeder said. "But I'm definitely going to miss being part of this team. We've had a lot of fun."
Head coach Dan Heikka said the Big Reds' class of 2007 –– particularly Bordine, Cornelison and Schroeder, who have been with the program since their freshman year –– has accomplished much more than that, pulling the program through a difficult "transition period" that has seen the team stay competitive even as its numbers and overall talent has dipped.
"Their legacy is that they've re-established Milan swimming the last two years," Heikka said. "They've set great examples and have been able to get guys back into the program. And now it's on its way back."
The Big Reds will look to add one last chapter of success to their careers over the next two weekends, first at the River Rat Invitational at Ann Arbor Huron this Friday and Saturday, and then at the state meet the following weekend.
While Heikka says the team won't be too focused on their team score at Huron, the meet remains a critical one for swimmers like Gabrielzyk who are on the cusp of qualifying for state.
"We want to make state cuts," he said, "and this is our last chance. We've got to make it count."
For other members of the Big Reds, the River Rat meet represents one final opportunity to swim for their school and post as many personal records as possible.
"We've worked really hard all season," Hansen said. "This is it. We're going to go out and swim as hard as we can and see how far we can drop our time."
"These guys have worked their rear ends off," Bordine said. "We're excited to see what happens."
In the end, Heikka said, the team's goal is simply for everyone swimming to post "their lifetime best." Cornelison said that that was all the motivation the Big Reds would need.
"This is the hardest thing I've ever done," he said. "These are our last meets. We're prepared. It's what we've worked for and we're going to give it everything we have."
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