On Thursday, April 19, 2012, Upper Dublin senior Alex Wheatley signed a letter of intent to accept a swimming scholarship to Bloomsburg University.
Alex Wheatley – Bloomsburg University (Swimming)
Major: Psychology/Education
Final list of colleges: Bloomsburg, Millersville, West Virginia
Reasons for choosing Bloomsburg: “The coach (Stu Marvin) knew so much about our program. He was from Upper Dublin, so immediately the first time I talked to him we made so many connections. That’s what drew me in at first, and then meeting the team and seeing how they worked together reminded me of how Upper Dublin’s swim team works and how much I love Upper Dublin. It was just the similarities.”
What was the progression that led you to swimming at the collegiate level? “After my junior year last year – my junior year really was my epiphany in swimming. It was the year, and after that year, I thought, ‘Maybe I can get better and better. Next year shouldn’t be the end.’ Then all the letters started coming in, and through the contacts with college coaches, I decided it would be more of a journey to continue on in college.”
Coach Brian Palme says: “Alex’s attitude is unbelievable. Of all the things she has had to face – not just this past year but throughout her career, she’s been able to pick up and go on with a smile. Even being out of the pool for months with shoulder rehabilitation and then finding out she had to have another surgery and then go through the rehabilitation of that again – that’s enough to beat down anybody, but her positive attitude and her desire to be with the team and improve on top of all of that just says a lot about who she is. She’s not a quitter. She gets the bigger picture of team and commitment, and any more, that can be rare. She’s a kid that’s going to be really really missed.
“Those attitudes allowed her to be the mother of the team. She took a lot of kids under her wing. When they were having bad days, words from Alex always comforted kids just because of what she represents and what she’s had to go through.”
About Alex:
Favorite food: Italian – my grandfather is from Italy, and endless recipes of Italian food have been programmed in my head. I’m a big critic when it comes to Italian food.
Favorite movie: Miracle
Favorite music: Frank Sinatra
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