swimming
_ u .. . , ' , , Photo by Mark Stewart
Steve Hamilton is the captain of Oregon s men s swimming team, not only in his capacity as an all-around
swimmer, but as a team leader as well.
Hamilton key cog in Oregon program
oemor bteve Hamilton is cap
tain of the men’s swim team, hol
der of three school records and
co-holder of another. He was also
Northwest Champion in four
events last year. He’s been a con
tinual bright spot on the financially
down-and-out swim program the
past few years.
"He’s an all-around swimmer,”
said his coach, Dick Schleicher.
"He excels in the backstroke and
individual medley. His other
capabilities are a good freestyle
and butterfly, but he can only swim
in so many events.”
Hamilton began swimming
competitively in grade school, and
participated in other sports.
“I began when I was young. I
was 8 when I swam for the Y
(YMCA) in Seattle,” said Steve. “I
also played baseball and basket
ball in elementary and junior high.
So it wasn’t the only thing I was
doing. It (swimming) was the thing
I was comparatively better at than
anyone else
He went to high school in Sun
nyvale, California, and was re
cruited by a few schools. Out of
high school, Steve said he wrote
letters asking for assistance. He
got replies from UCLA, Washing
ton, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas
and Oregon. Academics was high
on his list of priorities.
“Oregon was second or third on
my list,” said Steve, “with
Washington first. But I got no
feedback from them. That moved
Oregon up a notch. The California
schools (UCLA, USC) were in the
middle of cities. Academically,
ay MARK STEWART
Of the Emerald
Oregon is really sound. I thought I
could spend 4 years here easily. I
didn’t play the swimming up too
much. It made little difference. I
figured wherever I went, I would fit
in.”
Hamilton had a scholarship
when he first came to Oregon, but
then the bottom fell out financially
for the swimming program. The
swim team now sells programs at
football games and does other
jobs to raise enough funds to keep
the program alive.
Steve doesn’t seem to mind sel
ling programs.
“It’s almost a tradition,” said
Steve. "It’s been going on for four
years now, and isn’t a real hassle.
We have fun at it.”
Selling programs seems to
have paid off though. The team
just got back from a two-week
training session in Hawaii. But it
wasn’t all fun-in-the-sun, lay-on
the-beach, let's-have-a-party trip.
The team trained twice a day,
sometimes starting at 5 a.m.
Steve said the team did have its
fun, though.
"Most of the time after practice
we went body surfing and tired
ourselves out,” Steve said.
One of the positive aspects of
swimming for Steve has been the
travel.
"Swimming has enabled me to
see a lot of places,” said Steve.
“There are not many areas I
haven’t been. I’ve been able to
see first hand what places are like.
I’ve come to the conclusion that!
want to live on the west coast."
Probably the most negative
points about being a swimmer,
said Steve, are the hard work, and
hours he keeps.
Up at 5:45 a.m., Steve hits the
pool at six, swimming until about
eight. Then in the afternoon,
there’s an hour and a half of
swimming, followed by weight
training, followed finally by calis
thenics.
“I really get tired sometimes,”
Steve said. “It gets hard to get up
at quarter 'til six and hard to stay
up after nine to study. It takes a lot
of time out from school and being
rowdy.”
It’s not likely that Steve will con
tinue swimming after graduation.
“Swimming is not something you
can live on. There’s no profes
sional (swimming) or career in it.
The Olympics have been a big
drive. It’s something in reach but
would take a lot of time. I would
have to live that goal. I don’t see
myself swimming after this year."
Steve said that to be a success
ful swimmer one must have desire
and ability to do well.
“You must have the desire to
beat the other guy — you have to
want to finish ahead of him,” said
Steve. “As far as techniques go
you have to have an ability to start
with. Most of the guys on the team I
do. They are the guys who stick
around."
“Steve does the job,” said
Schleicher. “He’s not an egotist.
He doesn’t want any fanfare. He’s
a good individual.”
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