By Will Keyse
The Puget Sound Swim season is upon us starting this evening with the Northwest Conference Sprint Meet. After finishing fifth (men’s) and third (women’s) in the conference last spring, the Loggers look to build on past successes and rise up the ranks of the NWC this year.
At the helm of the leadership effort for this season is senior Cody Dodge (Tacoma, Washington). Dodge, a captain this year, hails from nearby Wilson High School in Tacoma, and has been swimming for over 14 years. His primary events are the 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter individual medley.
Being a Division-III student athlete takes a certain amount of grit, and Dodge reflected on his experience as a swimmer during his time at Puget Sound:
“I have progressed as a swimmer and a teammate over my time at [Puget Sound] by working hard not only in the pool, but also in the weight room and the classroom,” Dodge said. “I try to lead by example and when my teammates see that I’m working hard, my hope is that it will motivate them to also work hard and become the best student-athlete that they can be.”
Dodge has been recognized time and time again by his teammates as a strong leader both in and out of the pool. Sophomore teammate Kade Wagers (Boise, Idaho) weighed in on Dodge’s impact as a leader:
“Cody always leads by example and has an upbeat positive attitude. As a captain, he is always inspiring others to reach their potential while working hard to reach his. At practices and lifting, he always gives 100 percent and provides words of encouragement to anyone who seems to be struggling. He always has time to talk, and will go out of his way to help you with anything if you need it. He has a great sense of humor and is able to brighten anyone’s day with a joke and his cheerful demeanor.”
Junior Caleb Van Boven (Boulder, Colorado) echoed these sentiments:
“Cody is an excellent leader, both in and out of pool. In the pool, Cody leads by example by working hard and keeping people on track. Whether it’s through encouragement or laying down the law, he knows how to keep practice moving in the right direction. Out of the pool, in the weight room or just at team dinners Cody keeps these same qualities alive, and continues to keep the mood light.”
Another hallmark of a standout leader, Dodge is the first to praise his teammates and fellow captains for their efforts, day in and day out, to make the team stronger as a whole.
“I am thankful for my whole team, but some specifically I am very thankful for my fellow seniors, Nick Mitchell, Melisa Kegans, Alex Koga and Kayla Dimicco ,because we have all been together for so long, and even in our fourth year on the team they still push me to be the best I can be,” Dodge said. “I am also thankful for the other captains on the team with me, Erin Jenkins, Allison Hoops, Emma Staton, Austin Stiver and Nick Mitchell, because we have already been through so much just this year and we continue to push each other to be the best leaders that we can be for the team.”
Any athlete will tell you how important a coaching staff is for the development of skills and reinforcing morale. Dodge lauded the efforts of his coaches:
“The coaching staff has supported me very well throughout my career,” Dodge said. “We have had many assistant coaches in my time here, but all of the coaches have really stressed performance and hard work in the classroom and then in the pool and the weight room. All the coaches try to be as motivating as they can, and always push us to work as a hard as we possibly can so we can be the best team possible.”
You can catch Dodge and the rest of the Puget Sound Swim Team in action tonight at the Aquatic Center starting at 5 p.m.