Drew Onken is the first Davidson swimmer to be invited to the men’s championship meet and the second Wildcat swimmer to participate in the NCAA Championships, joining Lindsey Martin ‘11.
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Q&A With NCAA Swimming Qualifier Drew Onken
3/21/2012 6:58:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
SEATTLE - As Davidson swimmer Drew Onken prepares for his first swim at the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships tomorrow, assistant coach Amy Krakauer had a chance to sit down with the junior and get his thoughts on the season thus far and the weekend ahead.
What were your goals this season? Did you know you were on track to qualify for NCAAs?
Every year I'm striving to do better than the year before. This year, I decided it was my year to make NCAAs, and so that was always the goal in the back of my mind. I did really well at Kenyon mid-season. That gave me confidence to know that I could make NCAAs. But still, you can't take anything for granted.
The NCAA qualification for swimming and diving is challenging and a little complicated. You had to wait several weeks after the CCSA Championship to know if you had been invited. What went through your mind while you waited to get the official invite?
The past two years it took 3:47.7-ish to get invited in the 400 IM, so I knew that if I was below that, my chances were decent. I figured you had to be top-20 in the nation to get invited. It's hard to determine before the season is over, so you just have to go your fastest and hope its good enough. After going my 3:47.3, I did some extensive research and was optimistic that I would make it. When it was actually much closer than anyone had anticipated, I was relieved that I had been invited.
What has training been like leading up to this meet?
Has it been different from the rest of the season?
After resting to do my best at conference, I immediately started working hard again. I didn't waste any time getting back to intense dry-land and swimming sets to maintain my aerobic base and strength. After three weeks of intense training, I got to rest again to prepare for this weekend. The biggest difference during this part of my season is that the team is going for different goals right now, so I didn't get to do the same sets as the rest of the team. It allowed for more individual focus but less company in the pool. I always kept in mind that I wanted to do well at NCAAs, so that motivated me to train hard, but I definitely missed having my teammates there with me at practice. I appreciated having teammates to do sets with when I could. Even though you compete individually in swimming, team camaraderie is important.
What are your goals for the weekend?
I would be happy if I improved in any of my races. But it's really all about moving up in the rankings. I'm happy to have gotten this far and am excited to see what I can do.
Is there one race you are particularly looking forward to swimming?
The 400 IM was my ticket here, so it's the one that I can expect to do the best in. Naturally, that is the race that has the most weight in my mind. But I really do love swimming all three. It keeps me well-rounded, on my game and improving in all areas. I'm excited for the 200 IM to be a nice practice race for the 400 IM and an opportunity to get the jitters out. The 200 breast will be a good chance to see what I can do on the last day.
How do you expect this weekend will differ from the CCSA Championship? Will you approach it any differently?
This meet will be different for me because I don't have the rest of the team here. So for me representing Davidson this weekend will be all about my individual races instead of also focusing on relays and supporting my teammates. I won't be worried about team scores as much this weekend but just seeing how fast I can swim, making it back in finals, and representing Davidson well on the national level. There won't be a lack of excitement even though I'm not keeping track of team scores. I'm sure all the fast swimming will keep me motivated.
Is it challenging to balance you academic workload and swim at such a high level at Davidson?
It's definitely somewhat of a challenge, but it's a challenge I enjoy and seek out. I think it is important to be well-rounded. Having academic challenges and athletic challenges keep me motivated and at my best in all areas. I'm never bored.
What is your favorite part about swimming for Davidson?
I really enjoy that everyone here is a student-athlete and we can relate and interact on so many different levels. We get to share a very unique experience swimming and going to school at Davidson. I get to see my teammates in the pool, in the library and on the weekends. I like sharing the challenges of being a student-athlete with them and tackling it all together.
Outside of the pool, what things do you like to do at Davidson?
I spend a lot of time in the physics lab or in the computer lab programing. Aside from school work and swimming, I just enjoy spending time with friends and teammates.
What were your goals this season? Did you know you were on track to qualify for NCAAs?
Every year I'm striving to do better than the year before. This year, I decided it was my year to make NCAAs, and so that was always the goal in the back of my mind. I did really well at Kenyon mid-season. That gave me confidence to know that I could make NCAAs. But still, you can't take anything for granted.
The NCAA qualification for swimming and diving is challenging and a little complicated. You had to wait several weeks after the CCSA Championship to know if you had been invited. What went through your mind while you waited to get the official invite?
The past two years it took 3:47.7-ish to get invited in the 400 IM, so I knew that if I was below that, my chances were decent. I figured you had to be top-20 in the nation to get invited. It's hard to determine before the season is over, so you just have to go your fastest and hope its good enough. After going my 3:47.3, I did some extensive research and was optimistic that I would make it. When it was actually much closer than anyone had anticipated, I was relieved that I had been invited.
What has training been like leading up to this meet?
Has it been different from the rest of the season?
After resting to do my best at conference, I immediately started working hard again. I didn't waste any time getting back to intense dry-land and swimming sets to maintain my aerobic base and strength. After three weeks of intense training, I got to rest again to prepare for this weekend. The biggest difference during this part of my season is that the team is going for different goals right now, so I didn't get to do the same sets as the rest of the team. It allowed for more individual focus but less company in the pool. I always kept in mind that I wanted to do well at NCAAs, so that motivated me to train hard, but I definitely missed having my teammates there with me at practice. I appreciated having teammates to do sets with when I could. Even though you compete individually in swimming, team camaraderie is important.
What are your goals for the weekend?
I would be happy if I improved in any of my races. But it's really all about moving up in the rankings. I'm happy to have gotten this far and am excited to see what I can do.
Is there one race you are particularly looking forward to swimming?
The 400 IM was my ticket here, so it's the one that I can expect to do the best in. Naturally, that is the race that has the most weight in my mind. But I really do love swimming all three. It keeps me well-rounded, on my game and improving in all areas. I'm excited for the 200 IM to be a nice practice race for the 400 IM and an opportunity to get the jitters out. The 200 breast will be a good chance to see what I can do on the last day.
How do you expect this weekend will differ from the CCSA Championship? Will you approach it any differently?
This meet will be different for me because I don't have the rest of the team here. So for me representing Davidson this weekend will be all about my individual races instead of also focusing on relays and supporting my teammates. I won't be worried about team scores as much this weekend but just seeing how fast I can swim, making it back in finals, and representing Davidson well on the national level. There won't be a lack of excitement even though I'm not keeping track of team scores. I'm sure all the fast swimming will keep me motivated.
Is it challenging to balance you academic workload and swim at such a high level at Davidson?
It's definitely somewhat of a challenge, but it's a challenge I enjoy and seek out. I think it is important to be well-rounded. Having academic challenges and athletic challenges keep me motivated and at my best in all areas. I'm never bored.
What is your favorite part about swimming for Davidson?
I really enjoy that everyone here is a student-athlete and we can relate and interact on so many different levels. We get to share a very unique experience swimming and going to school at Davidson. I get to see my teammates in the pool, in the library and on the weekends. I like sharing the challenges of being a student-athlete with them and tackling it all together.
Outside of the pool, what things do you like to do at Davidson?
I spend a lot of time in the physics lab or in the computer lab programing. Aside from school work and swimming, I just enjoy spending time with friends and teammates.
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