On a dreary Friday afternoon, as most University students are heading home to unwind before the weekend, fourth-year College student Ryan Hurley and fourth-year Continuing Education student Pat Mellors are preparing to dive into the water for a two-hour swim practice.
It's their second of the day.
For these two students, the focus this semester is on one thing: training for the Olympic Trials this July. Both ranked among the top swimmers in the country in their respective events, Hurley and Mellors are hopeful that, with strong performances, they will join the American team in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
At the trials, which will take place in Omaha, Neb. this summer, Hurley will race in the 100- and 200-meter breast stroke, while Mellors, who qualified for four events, will swim the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys. University swimming and diving head coach Mark Bernardino, who will accompany Hurley and Mellors to the trials, said he feels "100 percent confident that both Pat and Ryan will progress through the preliminary rounds and advance to the elite stage of Olympic trial finalists."
Although Hurley and Mellors are both fourth-year students, they are red-shirting the collegiate season to train for the trials. They still practice with the team, but they have a different meet schedule and are not traveling with the team.
Despite this, the two are "pretty much with the team at all times when they're in town," Mellors said.
Though their focus is on the trials, Mellors admitted that he misses competing in the collegiate season and said it can get lonely when the team leaves for meets. Nevertheless, these two swimmers do not have much time to relax.
"We swim doubles Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a one-hour lift and swim in the morning, and at least two hours in the afternoon," as well as one practice Tuesday and Thursday and a three-hour practice Saturday mornings, Hurley said.
Bernardino stressed that the level of commitment shown by Hurley and Mellors is impressive, noting their "incredible work ethic and determination."
Bernardino explained that as the athletes' coach, he is constantly looking for "new and different methods to push their physical limits in the pool" to enhance their opportunities for success. He also added that they must consider other factors, such as nutrition, sleep, hydration and strength conditioning, which will "all play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of their quest to be Olympians."
Putting in long hours at the pool is not new to these swimmers. Hurley, whose hometown is Potomac, Md., started swimming when he was eight after watching his sister participate in the sport. Mellors, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., also started swimming at a young age.
"Being a swimmer, kids dream about [competing in] the Olympics," Hurley said. "But it all comes down to how seriously you take the sport. Pat and I are both dedicated swimmers."
That much is obvious by just glancing at their records. In the 2006-07 season alone, Hurley finished second in the 200 breast stroke and third in the 100 breast stroke at the ACC Championships and won two silver medals at the 2007 World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. Mellors was named the 2007 ACC Men's Swimmer of the Year and won both the 200 IM and 400 IM races at the ACC Championships.
"They are both highly motivated individuals who have made and continue to make great personal sacrifice to reach the ultimate in their sport," Bernardino said.
In addition to swimming, however, Hurley and Mellors also have academics to worry about. In the past, Hurley, who is a government major, said he "hasn't had much of a problem" balancing school and athletics, but added that this semester he's more relaxed because he's taking a lighter load.
"Swimming really is the focus," he said.
Mellors, a foreign affairs and Spanish double major, agreed, adding that being a part-time student this semester has allowed him to enjoy swimming more because "I'm rested and ready to go."
Both hope that the focus and dedication they have put into swimming this year will pay off at the trials.
The Olympic Games are "the pinnacle of the sport," Mellors said, adding that swimming in them would represent the pinnacle of achievement.
"I fully expect both of them to make a very strong showing at the meet," Bernardino said. "With good fortune, perhaps both of them will finish in the top two of their event and make the USA Olympic Team."
Although he is nervous, Hurley said he is looking forward to the trials.
"It's a great experience to race [at the Olympic Trials]," he said. "Everyone comes out and the stands are packed."
Mellors also expressed excitement, adding that he does not feel too much pressure.
"The people I'm swimming against are the best in the world," he said. "You couldn't ask for a better race."
Even if he does make the Olympic team, Mellors said it will not define his career.
The Olympics are great because "they're what everyone pays attention to," but they are not the only swimming event he cares about. "There's a lot of stuff in between [the Olympics] that I've really enjoyed," he said.
Both Mellors and Hurley agreed that swimming for the University has been one of the highlights of their careers, and they look forward to returning next year as fifth-year seniors. But before that, one or both of these Cavaliers just might join an elite group of athletes in Beijing this summer.
"The task before each of these men is formidable," Bernardino said. "But that makes the challenge more fun."
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