On Thursday, April 12, 2012, Central Bucks West senior Andie Blaser was recognized at a special news conference for signing a letter of intent to swim at the University of Vermont.
Andie Blaser – University of Vermont (Swimming)
Major: Environmental Science
Final list of colleges: Vermont, Rochester, William & Mary, New Hampshire, Bowdoin College
Reasons for choosing Vermont: “Probably to be living in Burlington, which is a nice place to be. I love the girls I met there on the team, and it’s a really great place for the environmental field. There are so many different directions I can go, so it’s the perfect place to be studying what I want to be studying.”
What was the progression that led you to swimming at the collegiate level? “I only seriously thought about swimming in college last year, and that was because I improved so much my junior and sophomore years. I was really short, but I grew and I got a lot better. I was a 5-1 freshman, and I’m 5-7 now. It was really my junior year when I went to states for the first time that I thought I could really compete at the college level.”
Coach Vibeke Swanson says: “I think one of the things that has always stood is her drive to succeed. Nothing has stood in her way. She would take any small challenge, whether it would be at practice or in a meet and embrace it. I think that’s something I like to see on our team, and she really helped us with that. Even if we were swimming a team we would get killed by, she would say, ‘I really want to race this person with a good reputation and see what I can do against her.’ She wouldn’t be intimidated by their stardom before she became her own star.
“As a freshman, I saw some potential, but I don’t think I thought she would get as far as she did. As a sophomore, at one meet, she did a dramatic jump in the 100 fly. I said to her before districts, ‘You need to go this time.’ She said, ‘Can I do that?’ I said, ‘Yes, you can.’ When she did it, I said, ‘I told you.’ She started to believe in herself then, and since she’s wrapped her head around being what she could be, nothing has stopped her. At this point, she has four school individual records (50 free, 100 butterfly, 100 free, 100 back) and two relays (200 and 400 free).”
About Andie:
Favorite food: Ice cream
Favorite movie: Bend it Like Beckham
Favorite music: Arcade Fire, Neil Young, Rihanna
- Log in to post comments
