The Swimnerd Show

In the second episode of, "The Swimnerd Show: Swimming History", we speak with Bill Ripol, childhood friend and QDD teammate of Jeff Rouse. Bill is also a former ACC Champion in the 400 IM, swimming for the University of Virginia. Swim Sam and I got to speak to Bill about several things including... ...the worst practice(s) of his life. ...being a parent of a swimmer. ...some advice on properly choosing the right college for you. ...the excitement that Todd Desorbo & Co. have brought back to the University of Virginia. But we mainly talk about Jeff Rouse. We talk about... ...the first time he met Jeff. (Of course, it was at swim practice.) ...how at QDD there was a great group of guys (spanning several years apart) that really pushed each other. The work ethic was passed down from the older kids to the younger kids. ...another story of genuine humility that really seems to be the ethos of Jeff Rouse. ...sitting on the bulkhead at 1990 NCAA Championships with Jeff (Stanford) and Mark Lenzi (Indiana) -- 3 guys that grew up swimming for Quantico together. Jeff won the 100 Back that year in 47.50 while Mark won the 1 meter with a score of 599.00.

Coach Don Regenbogen (currently with OCCS) was lured down from Pittsburgh in the 1980's by Doug Fonder (who founded QDD). There he met a young age group swimmer named Jeff Rouse.  We touch on... ...how Bill Ripol really taught him to train. Bill was the 1987 ACC Champion for UVA in the 400 IM. ...how he broke his wrist 8 weeks before his first World Champs Trails meet. ...how Coach Don rigged up a bucket to a 10 meter diving platform at the old Marines pool. ...how David Berkoff inadvertently lit a fire under his butt at the 1988 Olympic Trials. ...how Coach Don knew, after losing to Mark Tewksbury in 1992, that Jeff Rouse was prepared to go on a mental journey for the next 4 years to find himself. ...how Pablo Morales got him pumped up for the 400 Medley Relay in 1992, where he broke his own World Record leading off in 53.86. This record lasted for 7 years, 24 days. Nobody has held the 100 LCM Back World Record longer than Jeff Rouse.