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Grayson Blount - page 3

Grayson Blount has 19 articles published.

Salyers Sets Sights on Olympic Trials

in Features/Sports by
Photo: Sean Taylor
Photo: Sean Taylor

There is a Wesleyan Alumni that has made a big progression in his athletic career. Nick Salyers, class of 2012, has made an Olympic Trial cut in the pool and will compete at the Olympic Trials in June. The trials are held a month before the Olympics in Omaha, Nebraska. The top swimmers from around the country come and compete at the fastest and most competitive meet of the year. It is difficult to gain a cut for the trials, as they require not only speed, but endurance and grit.

When asked about his training regiment, Salyers said, “Currently, my main focus is on having my best year in the pool for the Bulldogs. So my schedule and training is not unlike my previous years at Georgia. We have however thrown in a few more long course (50 meter pool) meets into our typical schedule, like our dual meet against Florida which is normally short course (25 yard pool), in order to prepare for Olympic Trials. Also during the fall semester and over the breaks we did a lot more long course training in preparation for the Trials this summer.” Salyers had a good year for the Bulldogs, being one of the top contributors to the team.

In addition,he said, “I swim from 5:30-7am then have weights from 7:45-9 and then swim again in the afternoon from 2:45-5pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And then we have drylands from 2:15-3pm and then swim from 3:15-5pm every Tuesday and Thursday. We swim once for approximately 2 hours every Saturday and have Sunday off. The NCAA limits us to 20 hours of training per week. And we hit 20 hours exactly every week.”  Swimmers all around can attest to the fact that it is a harsh and exhausting training schedule.

Finally, I asked Salyers about his coaching staff and how they have helped him in his progression towards the trials.  He said, “Our coaches at Georgia are world class, but then we also have strength and conditioning coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and access to everything we need to succeed in the pool, classroom and life beyond sports.”  Coaches are so important towards a strong training program, and Salyers is the first of many to say that the coaches are top notch at UGA.

When asked about how balancing studies and time in the pool worked out, Salyers said, “It can be difficult at times. You really do have to sacrifice a lot at times in order to maintain the kind of schedule that I keep. But I thrive in that sort of challenge. It has been very rewarding to take on the challenge of swimming at UGA. Swimming has opened up many doors for me and taught me a lot about myself and a lot about hard work.”

Salyers is still looking to shave time of his 100 meter Backstroke, which is the event that he will be swimming in Omaha this June. His training will continue until then, as he looks to attempt to make the Olympic team as a senior in college.

MattyB Performs At Falcons Halftime Show

in Fine Arts/News by
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    Photo: MattyBRaps

Wesleyan student Matthew Morris, known by his stage name, MattyB, performed live at a recent Falcons game for the halftime show on the 1st of November with the help of his dance crew.  The sight was nothing short of epic, as the entire field was covered in Atlanta Falcons Junior Cheerleaders. Morris performed from a big stage at the 50-yard-line.  Commonly known as MattyB, he has accumulated quite the following on Youtube and social media, and has been working to establish a music career since a very young age.

It all started for MattyB when he was five-years-old.  One of his videos took off on YouTube and helped him gain millions of fans after getting millions of cumulative views. From strictly covering the songs of more famous artists on his Youtube channel, he moved to also creating original singles that he and his agent, Marshall, write.  He has done live concerts at some smaller venues before, including a WNBA game, but this is definetly the largest event that he has performed at.

The main takeaway is that MattyB is taking off and not coming down anytime soon.  From Youtube sensation to live performer, MattyB is moving up slow and steady in the music world.

Swim and Dive Makes Big Splash in Competition

in Sports by
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    Photo: Brian Morgan // Coaches Trotter and Bufton
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    Photo: Brian Morgan // Captains: Ben Buckley, Chandler Marsh, Kyle Rappe, Abby Gardner, Ellie Bradach, and Sydney Weissman

The swim team at Wesleyan is ready to take over Davidson Natatorium for the winter season once again. With large meets on the horizon and stiff opposition, head coach Kevin Kadzis knows that his team must be prepared both mentally and physically. Looking to improve on last year’s strong showing at state, the Wolves have been working hard in both the gym and pool to increase the overall endurance and strength.  Kadzis is very excited for the season. In an interview he said, “We are looking forward to a great season.” A great season it will certainly be.

Kadzis also named off a few of the key swimmers saying, “Certainly our captains will be important. Ben Buckley, Kyle Rappe, Chandler Marsh, Ellie Bradach, Sydney Weissman, and Abby Gardner.”  If this year is to be at all similar to past years, captains will play into the direction of this team.  Although talent is deep and young, the captains will have to lead their team with good attitudes and good spirit.    Senior swimmer Grant Sauer has a very interesting way of describing swimming.  The sport is difficult, and is like “riding a bike, except the bike has square wheels.”

Swimming is not meant to be easy, and all of the swimmers know that, but a love for the sport and the drive to win fuels their efforts every day. With the common goal of a state championship, the swim team know that they must be prepared to train the hardest that they ever have to achieve it. With a great senior class, the team is prepared for many records, personal bests, and Wesleyan top ten times will be broken.  Already this season there have been top ten times from Ethan Moon (500 free and 200 IM), Ben Buckley (200 Free and 200 IM), Joseph Berney (Diving), and Kate McCahan (Diving).  Although there have been many new top ten times, there will surely be more on the way as the season goes on.  Senior captain Sydney Weissman is very encouraged by how the team is looking thus far this season.  She said, “We have a lot of strong swims from younger swimmers.  It is very encouraging to see them improving so much in practice and in meets.  We are hoping to continue to see similar drops in time throughout the meets this season!”

Looking ahead on the season, the Wet Wolves will have a tough schedule with big meets against tough opponents coming up.  Big meets this season include an away meet against GAC in January, Holiday Splash Invitational against many high classification schools in early December, and the Metro Meet in January.  With large opponents, fast swims, and many lasts for the seniors, the Wet Wolves would love your support as a student body at upcoming meets and events.

Wolves Making Deep Run into Playoffs

in Sports by
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    Senior Maddie Jones focused during a game. Photo by Brian Morgan
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    Sophomore Madison McKemie huddles up with her team. Photo by Brian Morgan

Varsity volleyball is off to a great start in the postseason play. The Lady Wolves have played well in all of their games thus far. They have been solid on the court this year, landing them a spot in the GHSA Class 2A.

With a big win against Gordon Lee, the Lady Wolves have earned a chance at revenge for last year’s playoff loss against Lovett. Lovett, a historically strong team, knocked Wesleyan out of the playoffs last year, and is back for more yet again. Keep Reading

Presidential Candidates Making Things Interesting

in News by
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    Google Image
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    Google Image

With a required Government class, Wesleyan students have been learning about the Presidential campaign that is beginning to gather attention in the media. With candidates constantly changing status, the race is “up for grabs” for any candidate. From Trump to Clinton, the field of candidates is deep with different views. Keep Reading

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