Luke Adams says the hardest part of swimming is sticking with the routine day in and day out - a schedule of breakfast, classes, lunch, intense swim session, lifting, and then returning home for dinner. Homework or hanging out with friends concludes the night, then sleep and repeat the process.
"It's a long season," Adams said. "You have to keep telling yourself that if you stay with it you'll eventually see the benefits."
Adams, a junior Bulls swimmer from Quinnesec, Mich., has not only been named Mid-American Conference Swimmer of the Week, he also came out on top in the classroom, claiming the MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week award.
Adams started his dominance on the swim team last year as a sophomore, when he was awarded the 2004-2005 Outstanding Swimmer Award, displaying leadership and work ethic at a still-young collegian age.
Kurt Bessel, a senior teammate, says Adams takes swimming very seriously.
"He thinks about swimming 24 hours a day," Bessel said. "Doing well is something he takes personally."
So far this season, Adams is near perfect in the 200-yard backstroke with a record of 4-1, losing only to Eastern Michigan University freshman Mark Kurtze. Adams has also been dominating in the 1,000-yard freestyle. He has only lost once, to Chris Ekimoff of St. Bonaventure, making Adams 5-1 in the event.
Adams also is ranked in three MAC events. The talented junior is ranked second in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:53.83, eighth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:44.08, as well as fourth in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:39.17.
In competition, Adams says his most sought-after opponent is not necessarily found in the lanes to the right or left of him, but the one he sees in the mirror.
"My favorite part of being a swimmer would probably be the anticipation of doing well in the next race," Adams said. "I'm really competitive about that, and having better times in each one is my ultimate goal."
In a victory over Niagara University on Jan. 18, Adams won the 500-yard freestyle in a personal-best time of 4:44.08 in the 1000-yard freestyle race.
Against Ohio, he won both 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle events, as well as assisting in a first-place team effort in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Against St. Bonaventure, he won the 200-yard backstroke, and finished second in the 1,000-yard freestyle and 400-yard relay.
Head men's swimming and diving coach Budd Termin says that Adams' hunger for success is ever-present, and that it pushes the rest of the team as well.
"Luke is a lot of fun to coach. He's competitive by nature," Termin said. "He takes on a winning mentality whether it's during warm-up, interval, or cool-down sets. He thrives on not letting the other guys beat him. This pulls his teammates along too, letting that mentality bleed right over to race day."
The men's swimming and diving team boasts one of the highest grade point averages in UB athletics, and Adams is involved in that in a big way. The mechanical engineering major dives into his studies as successfully as he does his swimming. He has a 3.171 overall GPA, according to www.buffalobulls.com.
Adams believes his success in academics is the direct result of the success he enjoys in practice and competition.
"For one thing, being both an athlete and a student affects schoolwork, because you don't have time to screw around," Adams said. "For me, when swimming is going well, then academics are going well too. I was pushing for MAC Swimmer (of the Week), and the first week I didn't get it, which I didn't like. But then the second week I worked harder and finally got it. Getting Scholar Athlete was an added bonus for me."
Doing well academically for Adams is just as important as success in swimming. He insists that although he loves competition, he looks forward to life after college.
"If you do well here, you're going to go on and do well in life," Adams said.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
