On Wednesday, May 29, 2019, Quakertown senior Nathan Spak was recognized for committing to continue his swimming career at the University of Scranton. To view photos of the event, please visit the photo gallery by clicking on the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p179292119
Nathan Spak – University of Scranton (Swimming)
Major: Kinesiology
Final list of colleges: Scranton, Misericordia, Immaculata
Reasons for choosing Scranton: “Education and swim team, experience I would have.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in swimming at the collegiate level? “I started thinking about competing in college in eighth grade when I started getting more serious about swimming.”
Coach Tony Carty says: “When you talk about an athlete who is determined and who shows discipline, pride and commitment for his sport, you’re talking about Nathan. You’re talking about a guy who not only when we worked out in the pool but also then got into the last lane at the Y and kept swimming. We had a 4800-yard practice, and that wasn’t enough – he just kept going. He was blessed to have great coaching at the Upper Perk YMCA by Michelle Heimes. He was blessed to have great coaching from Mike Peters. Mostly, he was determined by having eight wins this year and eight seconds that he was our third greatest point giver this year, so not only did he contribute in the pool, but he contributed greatly in leading our young kids and doing an outstanding job. It would not have been the same without having Nathan in the pool. He knows he has two full-time jobs when he gets to college – one is to swim and one is to get an education, and he knows what he wants to do and he’s determined to do it. Swimmers are a rare breed. They’re a little crazy to swim as far as you have to, hit a wall and swim the other direction, but he does it just about as good as anyone else, and he’s done a really good job over the last four years.”
Coach Mike Peters says: “I’ve had the privilege of being both Nate’s swim coach and teacher. Whether it’s in the pool or in the classroom, Nate’s always been the kind of guy that’s been very focused, very driven to do the best at whatever he’s doing. He’s also the kind of guy who leads by example and brings out the best in everyone around him, brings out that competitive nature. He’s also the kind of guy that you can’t help but root for. One of my favorite memories of Nate would be his entire junior season. That whole season he was chipping away at his 500, which is 20 laps back and forth. He was knocking his time down all season and had his best time at our last home meet. We could have stopped right there, and it would have been great. He put in an awesome two-week taper, and we get to SOL champs, and he dropped a ridiculous 15 seconds in the 500, which is insane especially when you’re down at the five-minute mark to begin with. That’s unheard of. The coolest part of that was - he got out of the pool, and all the other coaches gave Nate a standing ovation and high fives as he walked all the way back to the team bench. It was a pretty special moment as a coach. Nate, if you continue to stay focused and work hard, I know there will be many more standing ovations in the future. I’m proud of you. Congratulations.”
About Nathan:
Favorite food: Burgers
Favorite TV show: Gotham
Favorite music: Country/Classic Rock, Zac Brown Band/U2
- Log in to post comments
