12A The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 10, 2000 TREXLER'S PLATFORM: DON'T FAIL By Benjamin Singer - Daily Sports Writer en thinking about the ath- letes that spend their days at Canham Natatorium, the first thoughts are usually of the dis- tance swimmers. But don't forget, it's the men's swim- ming and diving team. Senior tri-captain Josh Trexler is mak- ing it hard to forget that fact. The tough training that inspired this year's team slogan, 'Bring the Pain' - which is printed on the back of the Wolverines' warm-up shirts - applies to more than just the swimmers. Over at the diving well, Michigan diving coach Dick Kimball works his divers and works them hard. "Before I came here I had this doubt in my head," Trexler said. "Do I really want to go dive for Kimball?" Diving for Kimball requires incredible energy. It can be intimidating. "He really cracks the whip," Trexler said. "He works your butt off." Trexler hates to fail. By not diving for Kimball, Trexler would not fail, but he would have robbed himself of great opportunities to succeed. His relationship with Kimball helped Trexler develop into one of the top divers in the Big Ten. "He'll challenge me in practices, putting in a notion of doubt" Trexler said. "He'll say, 'Let's see if you can do it again."' And then Trexler has to prove that he can make the same dive again. And again. And again. "He'll push me to the edge, but he won't push me over the edge," Trexler said. "He'll push me to where I want to get better." In a sport which highlights the indi- vidual, Trexler's contributions have ben- efited the team, both in and out of the pool. In Michigan's most exciting dual meet of the year, Trexler scored key points against then-No. 2 Stanford. His NCAA Zone Diving qualifying marks in both the one- and three-meter dives gave the Wolverines momentum. Trexler's performance against the Cardinal earned him one of his four Big Ten Diver of the Week awards this sea- son. The other three honors came after Trexler placed first in two events in a sin- gle weekend. Trexler has accomplished the feat five times to lead the Wolverines, along with swimmer All-Americans Chris Thompson and Scott Werner. In all, Trexler has turned in 12 first place finishes this season, including his double victory at the Eastern Michigan Invitational. Trexler has been the top scorer in every competition this year amongst Michigan divers. The Diver of the Week awards are nice, but Trexler isn't fooled by their meaning. "It makes me feel good because there are other good divers, so if someone is choosing my performance over someone else, that shows that my hard work is paying off," Trexler said. "At the same time, that doesn't mean that I'm any bet- "If everybody else can experience those ter than they are, or that my performance kinds of friendships - that's part of my is any more important than theirs." responsibility. That's part of my goals." His focus, like the rest of the team's, The friends that Trexler has made remains on Feb. 24-26 here in Ann include the other senior tri-captains - Arbor. . Mike McWha and Scott Meyer. "The biggest thing for me this year is Together, McWha, Meyer and Trexler for the team to win the Big Ten make a perfect trio of leaders. Each one Championship," Trexler said. "I would has his own special role as a captain to trade all four Diver of the Week things keep the team' for that" together and It's no surprise that Trexler's desires focused. are team-oriented. Thanks to him, the Meyer is her-r Wolverines are more of a team than aided as the vocal " before his arrival. He hasontributed to one, McWha is a closing a natural separatiobetween the quiet leader by _ divers and swimmers. example, while . During practices and meets, the divers Trexler is the organizer. perform in the diving well and the swim- "Josh is the guy that mers are in the pool. Also, over winter structures things," McWha break they have different training facili- said. tis -v,,And it makes sense that "In the past, before he got here the Trexler is in charge of structures divers felt alienated from the swimmers,..; since he is also in the school of, Kimball said. engiieieemg.Trexler takes on a lot Despite these separations, Trexler was of responsibility between, school the first diver to be elected captain since and his tri-captain status, and he 1985. Trexler's role on the team as a tri- ,doesn't shy away from it. On behalf captainhas helped to bring the divers' of all the captains, Trexler sent out and swimirs'og.he $letters and e-mails to the team mem- "(think this, year,, moistdhoi ' any bers throughout last summer. previous year, the divers'are reallya part - lt was mainly just writing letters of the swim team and there has been to keep everybody. informed of tremendous bonding and friendship ,what was going on here in Ann away from the pool,' Michigan swim- Arbor, trying to get some enthusi mingc_,oach Jon Urbanchek said. -"The, asm and get them excited to come divers aren ito llyinthegown. back in the fall and excited for the ; "It used to be, one goes on'Toneside scason ahead," Trexler said. an the other goes on the other side.. "That wasthe-main thing for the No'hey',emeshed together real well. freshmen - to let them know and they hang but together': that we were thinking about Trexler disagrees that there -was ever themnand we wanted to get them much of a separation between divers and excited, and thatthe ' ptains are swimmers. On the contrary, in his four excited about working with the: years at Michigan;Trexler hasn't felt as younger guys. though the divets have been tucked away The freshmen this year in a corner. sparked a little bit of nostalgia in y "When I was a freshman I roomed Trexler and the rest of the with a swimmer (Jay Zawacki)," Trexler seniors. They were a reminieiof said. "There were four other swimmers how they entered a new world at r in my hall. When we came in, we didn't Michiga just three years ago, have five swimmers and one diver. It was and how they were on the, six guys." verge of finishing theirx i, that hallway of swimmers, Trexler careers as Wolverines. made great friends,- who he still lives "Seeing them for the with. Whether divers and swimnrs ever -first time and inter-v used to be separate entities, or not, , acting, with them, it , Trexler is making sure they don't isolate kind of takes you back themselves in the future. and makes you think "I guess because of my experiences about everything with my classmates, I want to extend that we've been throughZ out to evervone else that's on the team together," Trexler said. and let them be a part of it," Trexler said. "It got us excited about this year ahead of us." "Last year was the first time that my Trexler had reason to training stayed consistent and it showed be excited about the year up in the meets and I continued to dive ahead of him. He had well," Trexler said. "My freshman and come a long way from sophomore years kind of tailed off, and I his freshman year. don't know ifthat is a question of stami- Now he was an expe- na or bumr-out or what," rienced senior, about Each positive outing forTrexler had a to put together what snowball effect on hi confidence ,He he had learned in the said his'attitude helped him stay consis- last three years. tent. "By". improve,", Kimball .nsg ,bad practices ereadtee n Ssaid"'e was not couldget real d fio7r ryselJ blue chip athlete (his" .,'That psitive attitude-hatca'ied over freshman year)" : into the year. 2O. A comibination of It was not until his' attitude' and dedication to, practice has junior year that turned Trexler into a standout diver who Trexler became a will challenge diving powerhouses such serious force during as Ohio State, Indiana and Minnesota in diving competi- the Big Ten Championship. tions. Alongside After that, the NCAA Zone Diving then-senior Brett meet and the NCAA Championship Wilmot, Michigan await Trexler. But then what happens to diving had a pow- the diver? erful duo. "After this year diving is over," "With him and I Trexler said. "1 try not to think about it diving, it was like a because I've been diving for so long. 1-2 punch pretty I'm not really sure how I'm going to much, because we act when I'm done diving. Usually if I knew going into don't dive for a week I'm itching to get every meet that we back in the pool, and now it' ~s,, were going to have be done." . °,I two divers that were Trexler will find other avei4es to f.3 going to do well," exercise his competitive spirit and will Trexler said. "So last continue to practice at least throighi the year it was nice, because next fall term until his graduation in if one of us didn't have a December. good day, the other one An underlying theme to being a diver could pick up the slack." is repetition and routine. Divers use At the Big Ten 'muscle memory' to make their dives Championships, Trexler second nature. The body has been continued the success that trained to where it's not a question 'of he experienced during the physical ability, but mental'preparation dual meets. He was runner- because of the repetition.' up in the one-meter spring- Get up in the morning and go dive g } board and seventh on the and dive, and dive some more. Go to three-meter dive. classes. Come back in the afternoon "He really came up big last and dive and dive and dive some more. year in the Big Tens," Kimball That routine will be seriously'disrupt- said. "It opened up some doors ed next year when 6 a.m. rolls around for him." and Trexler won't have to get out of It opened up the door to the bed. NCAA Championship where he But for right now, he still wants to finished 21st on the tower. In addi- 'Bring the Pain' - which for him is tion ,Trexler's 14th-place finish in the actually a pleasure. three-meter springboard earned him "'Bring the Pain' is about the teaqy honorable mention all-America. saying, 'we can handle it and we're ready All the training and practice suddenly to go,"' Trexler said.. translated into success. But Trexler is not ready to go.Not yet. " K- . ..." senior Josh Trexler is the winner of four Big Ten Diver of the Week awards. -------------- DE TE QTS DAY MARCH 1 'UK :: 'K,' - - - - / K, < K," 4"" "-K K-K ®' a aU w Jwaa, I