Walk-on Weingart makes her biggest splash academically

By Steve Jackson

Daily Sports Writer

While big name athletes grab all the headlines, another picture of the student-athlete toils in quiet obscurity.

Sophomore Gwen Weingart doesn't see herself in the "dumb-jock" mold.

"I guess I never really think about it that way," Weingart said. "A lot of athletes here don't fit that mold. As a walk-on, my only perks come from being a part of this team... I am just here to take advantage of all the opportunities this university has to offer."

A breaststroker and medley swimmer for Michigan, Weingart has been named an Academic All-American and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

She has also compiled a 3.71 grade-point average in a pre-business curriculum. And all this while enduring a 30-hour a week training schedule for swimming.

The Cleveland-area native defines a scholar-athlete as a person with "no free time."

"You have to keep everything in perspective," Weingart said. "There is no professional swimming. This is part of my life, but everything else is important too."

During her "20 minutes of free-time" she enjoys her hobbies - eating and sleeping - and tries to maintain a typical social life.

"It's important for me to spend time with friends outside the program," she said. "Sometimes I just need to break from swimming."

So far, this has been a disappointing season in the pool for Weingart personally. But, she credits her mother Judy with giving her the strength to cope with both her frustrations and her hectic schedule.

"She is my definition of success," Gwen said.

Five years from now, Weingart hopes to work as a financial consultant.

"I have always enjoyed problem solving, and I am really good at math," Weingart said. "Business combines the two. Besides, my competitiveness and organizational skills will help me there."

"Gwen is really tough and focused," Michigan coach Jim Richardson said. "Swimming is not a game - it's a sport. So we need to recruit hard-working, driven individuals like Gwen."

Richardson's recruiting philosophy has been instrumental in the team's academic success - its combined GPA has been between 3.1 and 3.2 for the last 12 years.

Weingart and the rest of the 14th-ranked Wolverines have two dual meets this weekend. They will pay a visit to No. 18 Notre Dame and No. 23 Northwestern on Friday and Saturday, respectively.