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Men send 8 to Indianapolis for a shot at Atlanta

It may sound like any other spring break package:

-- Round-trip transportation

-- Hotel accommodations

-- Warm, crystal-clear waters

-- Daily activities

-- Co-eds in swimsuits

But, like any trip, spaces were limited. Maybe you can sign-up early next year and guarantee yourself a spot?

It's not that easy. You can't make a reservation for this trip -- you have to qualify. And only a select few do.

Eight members of the Michigan swimming team hold tickets for this year's coveted spring break package.

And what, you may ask, is the swimmers' destination?

The reflective blue waters and 80-degree temperatures are south of the border at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind.

South of the Michigan state line, that is -- not south of the Rio Grande.

Doesn't sound like your dream vacation?

The Wolverine Olympic hopefuls couldn't be any happier with their spring break plans.

"I don't think there's any place I'd rather spend my spring break than at the Olympic Trials," Tom Malchow said. "Just being there and having the opportunity to try to make the team is reason enough."

The Michigan swimmers will travel to Indianapolis for a week and a half of anything but rest and relaxation. They will be competing for spots on the Olympic team and a trip to the ultimate destination: Atlanta.

The top two finishers in each event qualify to wear the red, white and blue in this summer's Olympic Games. National relay teams will be composed of the top six finishers in the individual events.

"(This meet) is really a pressure-cooker," Chris Rumley said. "It's the most intense meet I could imagine. The top two (finishers) go to the Olympics, the others go home. It's that simple."

With the pressure so high, you would expect the Wolverines to be losing sleep, figuratively and literally. But this is not the case.

"I'm pretty well-rested," Rumley said. "My body has adapted to the rest and hopefully my times will have improved (with the rest)."

But a glance at their workout schedule proves that these swimmers define repose a little differently than most of us.

Their training distance in the pool has been reduced drastically over the past few weeks to allow the swimmers' bodies to peak for the Trials. During regular-season training, the Wolverines were swimming 15,000 meters each day.

With the upcoming trials, their workouts have been cut to 6,000 meters per day. Aside from dropping yardage, the Wolverines have altered their workouts to include more speed work.

The members of last year's National Championship team who are swimming this week have accumulated frequent flyer miles to Indianapolis. The Wolverines claimed the Championship in the same pool where they will attempt to capture a spot on the Olympic team.

For one swimmer, Jason Lancaster, Indiana truly is home. The sophomore graduated from Carmel High School, just north of Indianapolis.

"I don't want to say I consider (the IUPUI Natatorium) home," Lancaster said. "Carmel is home, Indianapolis is just a pool to me.

"I am trying to treat this just like another meet, as far as mental preparations go. I don't want to become too comfortable."

Joining Lancaster and Rumley as veterans of the IUPUI Natatorium competing at the Trials are Tom Dolan and John Piersma.

First-time travelers on the Wolverine squad are not strangers to the pool, though. Malchow and fellow freshmen John Reich and Andy Potts have competed in Indianapolis at various national and qualifying meets. Also making the trip is junior Toby Booker.

Unlike most people looking to slow down on their vacations and take time off from their jobs, the swimmers are looking forward to speeding up.

The pool conditions at Indianapolis are considered ideal for trimming times.

"(Indianapolis) is a fast pool, which is obvious from the way everyone swam last year (at NCAAs)," Reich said.

Being characterized as a fast pool has a lot to do with the depth and gutter system of the pool.

But there is more than plumbing logistics that make a fast pool.

"A lot of the benefits of a fast pool are psychological," Reich said. "If you hear that a pool is fast, you are more likely to go in (to a meet) prepared to swim fast."

Rumley swam some of his fastest times at last year's Championships in Indianapolis. He said he hopes this may forecast Trials success.

"It's a fast pool and it's nice to know that I've had fast times there," Rumley said.

But this week, the pool will have no memory of Rumley, the Wolverines or anyone, for that matter. The water is the same for all in Indianapolis.

And like most vacation-goers, the swimmers will not travel with copies of their resumes.

"Nobody cares about (what your personal accomplishments are)," Lancaster said. "When it comes down to the race, I really don't care that the guy next to me did this-that-and-the-other-thing. But he also doesn't care that I did this-that-and-the-other-thing.

"It's one of the few times that it doesn't matter who plays, it's who wins that's important."

Natatorium competing at the Trials are Tom Dolan and John Piersma.

First-time travelers on the Wolverine squad are not strangers to the pool, though. Malchow and fellow freshmen John Reich and Andy Potts have competed in Indianapolis at various national and qualifying meets. Also making the trip is junior Toby Booker.

Unlike most people looking to slow down on their vacations and take time off from their jobs, the swimmers are looking forward to speeding up.

"(Indianapolis) is a fast pool, which is obvious from the way everyone swam last year (at NCAAs)," Reich said.

But this week, the pool will have no memory of the Wolverines, or anyone, for that matter. The water is the same for all in Indianapolis.

And like most vacation-goers, the swimmers will not travel with copies of their resumes.

"When it comes down to the race, I really don't care that the guy next to me did this-that-and-the-other-thing. But he also doesn't care that I did this-that-and-the-other-thing," Lancaster said. "It's one of the few times that it doesn't matter who plays, it's who wins that's important."