Photo Courtesy of Sports Information
By Matt Guear, Staff Writer
In 2018, swimmer Eric Towse was the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year. In 2020, his junior season was cut short by the pandemic but not before he set multiple school records. Even with all those accolades to his name, Towse still isn’t satisfied.
“On top of breaking records and Rookie of the Year, what I’m really looking forward to is to try to get a NCAA B Cut,” Towse said.
A B Cut is essentially a time that must be beaten to gain access to the NCAA championship meet.
“It’s beyond all conferences and is definitely a prestigious honor to achieve,” Towse said.
In swimming, a literal second can be the difference between failure and success. Therefore, every motion you make while in the pool must be precise. Towse’s success is testament to this.
“I have to focus on the technical stuff,” Towse said. “Instead of worrying about what I do on top of the water, I can definitely work on the technique and form of my start.”
This work ethic was instilled in Towse from a young age. He started swimming when he was just nine years old and how he started is a great story.
“My best friend’s grandfather, whose name is Mr. Frick, gave me the contact information for a swim instructor and ever since then that’s the sport that has clicked with me,” Towse said. “Out of everything, basketball, baseball, football, I tried it all, and they never really clicked with me, and for some reason swimming always did.”
The swimming instructor that Towse was introduced to was the coach for a club team called Trident Aquatic Club.
“I did nine years with them and that’s how I knew I wanted to swim in college,” Towse said.
Speaking of college, as a freshman Towse found a mentor in the form of former swim coach Jerry Foley.
“When I came to Susquehanna, one thing that I’ll always remember was how welcoming Coach Jerry was,” Towse said.
“He respected me, not only as an athlete but as a person and he always gave me the proper attention,” Towse said. “He motivated me even when I didn’t feel like I was doing my best and I was very fortunate to have an authoritative figure, who happened to be my swim coach, watching over me and I’ll always remember that.”
Aside from swimming, another passion of Towse’s is watching movies.
“I love movies,” Towse said. “I’ve seen so many movies and I love re-watching them.”
When it comes to a specific movie franchise, Towse is a big Marvel fan.
“I’ve seen them all so many times now and they’re a great way to spark up conversation,” Towse said. “My favorite is ‘Captain America and the Winter Soldier’.”
“They are a nice break from reality, and they get my mind off things,” Towse said.
Towse said they are a good distraction right before a meet.
Susquehanna had their first meet of the 2021-22 season on Saturday, Nov. 13 against Drew University.
Ahead of the meet, Towse said that this meet was for “wiping off the rust”.
Prior to Saturday, it had been over 600 days since there has been an official meet, so he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“For once, I’m kind of confused,” Towse said. “It’s been so long, and we’ve been through so much so honestly, what I’m going to do tomorrow is just try my best. I know that sounds cheesy but if I don’t get my best time that’s okay.”
It turns out that Towse didn’t have much to worry about. He came in first in both the 200-yard freestyle and backstroke, and he was a part of a team that broke the school record for the men’s 200 medley relay. He broke that record with Juniors Andre Fissela and Jack Imburgia and Sophomore Brendan Alvino.
Before the meet, Towse said: “It’s going to show that even though it’s been over 600 days, I still have something within me.”
Towse came through on his promise on Saturday and he’s as focused and determined as ever to make his senior swimming season as memorable as possible.
