Uncharted Waters
November 12, 2006 09:00 PM | General
November 12, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University men’s swimming team is currently ranked 19th in the Swimming World Magazine Dual Meet Top 25 after an impressive 4-0 start to begin the season. It is the first time in the history of the program that the Mountaineers have been ranked.
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| Nick Delic has helped West Virginia crack the national rankings for the first time in school history.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
A large portion of the team’s success can be attributed to the steady leadership of junior captain Nick Delic. A native of Split, Croatia, Delic says that the first meet of the season -- an impressive victory over a highly-touted Penn State team -- has given the Mountaineers the confidence they need to continue their success this year.
“Penn State was the first big meet of the season,” Delic said. “Last year we lost to them because of all the depth they had. We took it really seriously because it was supposed to be the hardest meet of the season. They are highly ranked in the Big Ten. It looked like an easy win but we were really pumped up to show them what we had. That determination pushed us to do well not only in the first meet but throughout the season.”
After another impressive victory over conference rival Louisville, West Virginia continued their success with a pair of easy wins over East Carolina and Duquesne last weekend in Huntington. Against the overmatched Dukes and Pirates, the Mountaineers were able to tinker with their lineup and gain some valuable race experience.
“Honestly it wasn’t a really tough meet in Huntington. They (Duquesne and East Carolina) don’t have the depth that we do and we are on a totally different level than them so it was kind of like more of a practice meet for us. I think most of the guys swam events that they don’t normally swim just to get some racing experience and also try something else,” Delic said.
Delic who specializes in the 100-meter breast and the 100-meter fly, is honored to be a part of the first team in the program’s history to crack the top 25.
“The guy’s team was really excited and Sergio (Lopez) was really excited that the guy’s team finally got recognized as a program that is going to threaten in the future. I am really honored to be a part of it,” Delic said.
“As a captain and a leader of the team it is a special thing to break the top 25 for the first time. It is always going to be remembered. I think we have the potential with the freshmen on the guy’s side to go even further than that. This is just the beginning,” Delic said.
Delic believes that more than the techniques of swimming taught on the pool deck, it has been the close-knit community atmosphere created by Lopez that has been a key catalyst for the Mountaineer’s success.
“I feel like here I am a part of a family and not just a part of a team. There are certain people I hang out with on the team not only on the pool deck but outside the pool deck as well. Coach Lopez made this environment possible from the beginning. He made us feel like we were connected so I think we have a bond between us that keeps us going,” Delic said.
That common bond has helped not only with results in the pool, but also in luring coveted recruits to Morgantown.
“When recruits come and look at the school they are really surprised and glad to see how well we bond and how that connection works. For most of the people that have come here the last few years that has been a crucial thing. They feel like they can be a part of this and it gets them excited,” Delic said.
Delic didn’t always find success in swimming this easy, however. In fact, after not receiving any college offers he wanted to pursue during his senior year of high school, he decided to stay in Croatia for an additional year to train. He was on the cusp of giving up his swimming career and pursuing academics at a University in his native country.
“Within that year I made huge progress with my results. I started practicing two times a day and I changed my coach. I left my home and moved to the capital,” Delic said. “One of the best coaches in Croatia took me under his wing and we worked a lot on my technique. I was in a new environment and I wanted to prove that there was a point to my swimming because I love swimming and I have done it since I was a little kid.”
During the year of training Delic had many e-mail conversations with childhood friend and current Mountaineer women’s swim team member Tina Gabrilo. Gabrilo became the key factor in Delic’s decision to leave Europe for the hills of West Virginia.
“Tina had come here a semester earlier than me and she told me Coach Lopez was looking for someone to boost the team a bit and she offered to talk to him for me. She told me a lot about the school and about the team and when you have someone inside the program that you know it is a lot easier to come and adapt,” Delic said. “Coach Lopez contacted me in November and I was here in January.”
Once in Morgantown, Delic was forced to make an adjustment to a team concept in an individual sport.
“When I came in from Europe it was a totally different approach for me in the way people look at swimming. Here it is more like a team thing. Whenever you swim it is not just your result. You score it for the team primarily,” Delic said. “When I first got here I was really excited to show everyone what I was capable of but I wasn’t really aware of how much weight one person’s effort can bring to the whole team.”
Delic’s efforts -- and the efforts of all his teammates -- have the men’s program swimming in the unfamiliar waters of the Top 25 this season.
