I agree with Wyoming's best breaststroker Mitch Hovis.
"It takes a special person to do what we do," the Cowboy junior says. "I'd say swimming attracts a person who's a little bit different."
If you've ever been to a practice or meet, you understand how hard swimmers work, but also how much fun they have.
"I guess you could call us a little crazy, or eccentric," Hovis grins. "But swimming is such hard work, you've got to find time to have fun."
Case in point at practice today, Hovis tells me a, a lip sync contest is planned. I'm not sure, your guess is as good as mine. I wish I could have seen it.
Hovis is having quite a junior year. He already has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Time Trials in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Those trials are set for June 21-28 at the CHI Heath Center in Omaha, Neb.
He is in Wyoming's all-time Top Ten in both events, and continues to climb that ladder, events in which the Cowboys have been traditionally strong.
I've always marveled at how these athletes get up early in the morning and swim, then go to school, then return in the afternoon to swim some more. For Hovis' group (butterflyers and breaststrokers) the regular routine calls for between 3,500 and 4,000 yards per practice. Those athletes in the distance events go even more than that per practice!
"It's tough some mornings, especially when it's cold. But it's what we do and none of us would trade it for the world."
A typical day for Hovis: lift weights from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., swim those 4,000 yards from 7:30 a.m. until 9 a.m., then return to the pool at 1:30 p.m. and swim 4,000 more yards until 3 p.m. Crazy.
Most would say the breaststroke event is the most challenging of all the swimming strokes. "Everyone swims it differently," says Mitch. "But it takes a powerful kick, good timing and a lot of flexibility."
As a child Hovis competed in several sports including, baseball, soccer, and gymnastics. He credits gymnastics for his flexibility. Had he not chosen swimming, he might have been a gymnast.
"Like so many kids, I took swimming lessons when I was four or five years old. I loved the water, and I was pretty good at it, so that's the sport I chose. It's difficult there's no doubt. It's a sport that doesn't allow you to take time off, you have to do it year-round. I might take a couple of weeks off in the summer, but I'm never away for too long. If you are, you fall behind real fast.
"I chose the breaststroke because I was pretty good at it. Really, it's always been my best stroke."
Hovis grew up in Seattle, and began competitive swimming when he was eight years old for a club team called the South Snohomish County Dolphins. "I was in love with the water by then," he admits.
He contacted many schools when he was shopping for a university. He contacted Wyoming because he had a friend who swam here. Dave Denniston (current head coach) recruited him when he was a Cowboy assistant.
"I ended up taking visits to Texas A&M, Purdue and Wyoming. "I can't really put my finger on it, but I wasn't comfortable with the teams at either A&M or Purdue. Partly, I think it was because at both schools the men's and women's programs were totally separate. At Wyoming, everyone is together and I really like that dynamic. I think it's very beneficial for us to practice together. It's more fun and doesn't seem like as much work. I just love the interaction within our team.
"I fell in love with Laramie too. I was a little weary of the snow when I first got here since I had never had any experience in it. But that didn't take long to get used to, and there isn't that much anyway."
We all have a special place in our hearts when it comes to mom. For Mitch that feeling, that bond, may be even more special.
"She is very, very special to me. She is my biggest cheerleader, my biggest supporter. Mom (Joan) has always been there for me. I think she was a little apprehensive about me coming out here, but she could see I was happy, so she was happy. She is one tough lady. I get my tenacity, my ability to keep going, and my grit from her. All of those things are very important in the sport of swimming."
Hovis is an outstanding student, and is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and the honors program. Originally he wanted to be a veterinarian but has since changed his course and wants to be an environmental biologist. "I really want to make a difference, and whether it is with a government agency or in the private sector I think I can do that."
He's thought about teaching and coaching so that could be an option as well.
But for now there is so much for he and his teammates to accomplish as the season winds down. "I'm really pleased that we are moving in a very positive direction," he says. "When I was a freshman we won the conference championship. But we lost a lot of great seniors, and didn't do as well as we wanted the next season. I think we can this season. We have a lot of good swimmers on this team, and we have something to prove. So we are excited about our prospects."
His head coach is certainly sold on him.
"You start with his worth ethic," Denniston says. "He has that intrinsic desire to be the best while at the same time bringing people up with him, and I'm talking both our men and our women. He has compassion for everyone, the people around him, his teammates, animals, everyone. When we recruited him we knew he could be among our elite breaststrokers and that's saying something with people who came before him like Mark Miller and Scott Usher! He has a lot of natural ability and athleticism, and is certainly proving us right.
"He's the one who organized the lip sync contest at practice. He puts together scavenger hunts for the recruits we bring in. He's always creating great experiences for everyone. He's one of those guys everyone loves. He's just fun to be around.
"He brings world class to our program."
