Questions and Answers with Alex Vanderkaay
2/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
During his first three seasons at Michigan, senior Alex Vanderkaay(Rochester, Mich./Adams) became a 400-yard individual medley national champion a member of Team USA for the 2007 World University Games, a nine-time NCAA All-American and a five-time Big Ten champion. So what is left for him to pursue See what Vanderkaay has to say about his future goals, his relationship with his brothers and much more.
Q: Congratulations on winning the 400-yard individual medley at NCAA's last season. What was it like touching the wall first in that event to claim your first national championship
AVK: "It was a great feeling. I looked up at the scoreboard and saw the number one by my name. I was like, 'Oh thank god!' Going into the last lap, I kind of knew I was in the lead but there was this guy in lane one that I didn't see at all and I just barely ended up out touching him. When I saw that on the board I was like 'Oh thank god!' It was a great feeling."
Q: Have you met or exceeded your goals in the pool here at Michigan
AVK: "I really didn't set any expectations for myself. A lot of people ask me if I'm going to go to the Olympics, like my brother, so it's kind of hard to set a goal like that. The only expectation I really set is to simply get better every year and I've done that so far."
Q: What was it like to swim with your two brothers during your freshman year
AVK: "It was amazing. I know, for one, a lot people don't get to experience going to college with their brothers. But being able to be on the team with them is something I really cherish and don't take for granted at all. I got one year with both of them and then two years with Pete, so it was definitely a great opportunity."
Q: Do you feel you and Peter have set the bar a little too high with Dane coming in
AVK: "If there was any pressure for me coming in to do well in swimming there is more for him. You could definitely tell that when it came time to choosing where he was going to go to school. I know there was a lot of pressure for him to come here and I definitely know what that feels like. I know that he will take the pressure well, and I think he is kind of like me in that he's not going to feel like has to live up to any expectations."
Q: Growing up what interested you swimming
AVK: "Getting into it was simply just following the older brother. Our parents got us swim lessons when we were little. We joined a country club and started doing competitive swimming and it just grew from there."
Q: Name one person in the world you would be most interested in meeting
AVK: "One person I would really like to meet would be Fielding Yost. He is one of the greatest coaches of all time in Michigan history. To look at his aspect of coaching and to just see somebody from Michigan's past would be great."
Q: Would you be interested in pursuing a career in coaching
AVK: "You know, I actually thought about it. I'm an Engineering student so to go into coaching would be kind of the other side, but I would love to be a volunteer assistant for one year."
Q: How nice would it be to travel to Beijing this summer with Peter, Michael, Coach Bowman and others as a member of the U.S. Olympic team
AVK: "That would be amazing. I know I said I don't set expectations, but I do set goals and I think one goal would be to definitely make the Olympic team. It would just be amazing to be on that team with my brother and all of the guys I've trained with. That would be an awesome opportunity to have three or four (U-M) guys on the team."
