In 1978, Don Winant of the University of Maine set the school’s 400 individual medley record at the New England Championships held at Springfield College.
His preparation included an uncommon practice.
Thirty-two years later, UMaine’s Jeremy Bender erased Winant’s record in the 400 individual medley during the America East championships. His preparation also included an uncommon practice.
Husson University swimming coach Jeff Wren, who in 1978 was the assistant coach for the UMaine men and the head coach for the Black Bear women, recounted the details surrounding Winant’s race.
At the 1978 New England Championships, Friday evening’s events — the 1,650 freestyle, the 400 individual medley and the 800 free relay — were swum as timed finals. Winant, who prior to enrolling at UMaine had been a finalist at the AAU Nationals in the 400 individual medley, had not swum a timed final in a champion-ship meet in the 400 individual medley.
So, UMaine head coach Alan Switzer sent Wren and Winant to Springfield one day ahead of the team.
“Don was concerned the event was not going to be swum as a trials and finals. This was an extreme departure from that which he was accustomed,” Wren recalled.
Thursday’s arrival at Springfield allowed Wren and Winant an opportunity to go Friday morning to the Springfield College pool, where Winant swam his “time trial” hours before the meet started. Winant completed a warm-up, then Wren started him from blocks and Winant, the only racer in the pool, swam the 400 individual medley, finishing in 4:10.
“I remember Charles Silvia [Springfield College coach and a nationally recognized swimming statesman] was quite impressed with Don’s swim,” Wren said.
In the evening’s finals, Winant set the UMaine record (4 minutes, 8.66 seconds) which stood for 32 years and in doing so won the New England title. As a mater of fact, the Black Bears won the New England team championship.
“The race was not close,” Wren remembered.
Thirty-two years later, during the 2010 America East Championship at the Boston University natatorium, UMaine’s Bender erased Winant’s record, eclipsing it in the prelims (4:07.93) and then bettering it (4:07.56) in the finals.
After watching his teammates swim so successfully in the first two days of what now is a four-day meet, Bender made his first swim on the third day.
“Because Jeremy had missed first-semester training [while studying abroad], I went into the meet with an open mind and with no expectation for his performance,” explained Maine interim head coach Suzie Lizzotte.
One might not have expected a record swim in such a demanding race as the 400 individual medley, given Bender’s abbreviated training regimen. But, he approached his training in a somewhat unconventional manner when he returned from his semester study.
Not only did he extend his endurance training schedule beyond that of his teammates, the marine science major would complete his distance work out, then stay after practice and swim the team workout.
“He was very, very determined. He knows what he has to do to be ready,” Lizzotte said.
Lizzotte recalls her reaction as she monitored Bender’s splits in the trials of the 400 individual medley.
“I remember thinking after seeing him turn at 1:59 at the 200, ‘holy cow, he can do this,’” Lizzotte said.
His trial time bettered Winant’s record. Swimming in the finals, Bender went fractions faster to lower the mark again.
“There wasn’t a place in the race where he needed improvement. He always knows his race place,” his coach stated.
As Wren noted, there have been other Maine swimmers with the ambition to take the 400 individual medley record. However, it was Bender who wrote his name into Maine’s 400 IM swimming history.
Swim championships at Bowdoin
Bowdoin College is the site of the 2009-10 Maine Winter USA Championships, which began Thursday and will conclude Sunday. A total of 635 swimmers are entered.
Twenty-one teams are registered and will compete for the team title. Swimmers who finish first and second and who achieve a USA “A” cut are eligible for the Eastern Zone team scheduled in April at Rochester, N.Y.
Bangor area Hurricane Club coach Bruce Babin has been named to lead Maine’s Zone team. Meet Director for the Maine Winter Championships is Chris Branch.
Mainers set for national meet
Among the swimmers who will competing next week at the NCAA Division III Nationals scheduled for the University of Minnesota are Mainers Ian Mecray of Bowdoin, who swam at Greely of Cumberland Center, and Jacob Shanley from Kenyon, who swam at Old Town, as well as Noah Daley and Nick Daley from Cape Elizabeth, who will be racing for Middlebury.
According to meet psych sheets (entered swimmers before scratches), Shanley has the ninth fastest entry time at 1:49.9 in the 200 backstroke and the 12th fastest 100 back time at 50.8. Mecray’s 20.87 in the 50 free ranks as the 17th entry.
Lessons scheduled at Husson
Husson University will hold a swim-lesson program beginning March 23. Lessons are offered to swimmers of all ability levels. Class size ranges from one to three swimmers.
Beginning March 28, Wren will teach a lifeguard class for ages 15 and over. Successful completion of the class will certify the participant with Red Cross lifeguard credentials. Contact Wren at Husson for details.