Oct. 25, 2011
New Mexico Lobos Swimming – At Seidler Natatorium
Thursday: 5 p.m., vs. Northern Colorado
GoLobos.com: Meet Recap, Complete Results
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
If you measure the finish line for Maria Dudley as a spot and a touch at the end of a swimming lane, then you don’t really know the long distances this long-distance swimmer plans to go.
Like to the University of Oxford or maybe to the University of New Mexico Law School.
For Dudley, either destination will be fine. The Lobo swimmer is one of seven UNM nominations for a Rhodes Scholarship, which is a two-year, full-ride to Oxford, located near London, England.
Dudley is more than qualified as a student with a 4.13 GPA and as a collegiate athlete. But this is a tough race to win as the top students from across America compete for the scholarship.
“It’s an intense process to get picked,” said Dudley, a UNM senior. “Just to make it this far is an honor. There are thousands who apply and only 32 (U.S. citizens) get it. I guess I’ll be shocked if I make it, but I have a backup plan.”
It’s no surprise that Dudley has a backup plan (law school) – and probably a backup plan to her backup plan. From the moment Dudley stepped on the UNM campus and made a splash in the UNM pool, she has been focused on a finish line.
Sometimes that finish line waited at the end of a final lap. Always that finish line was linked to her educational values and goals.
“Maria knows what she wants to accomplish and she is committed to that path,” said Tracy Ljone, UNM’s swimming coach. “Her work ethic is probably the best I’ve ever seen.
“Maria is the complete package as a student-athlete. She puts out the extra effort in the pool and in the classroom. Everybody on our team looks up to Maria.”
As an athlete, Dudley has been a Mountain West all-everything academically. In the pool, she has been one of the Lobos’ top performers in the 500-yard, 1,000-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle. You have to give her an assist on the school’s record at 1,650 and 1,000 – both owned by a Dudley.
The full name behind those marks is Monica Dudley — Maria’s kid sister, who came to UNM, in part, because that’s where big sister was swimming. Maria is No. 3 on those two UNM record lists. However, one reason that Monica is faster in the pool than her sister is because of length. Monica is about three inches taller, which means longer arms, longer legs, longer swimming strokes.
“They have a neat relationship,” said Ljone. “They swim together and they room together.”
Said Maria: “She rubs it in that she is taller than me, but I still love having her here. We are in the same events and we push each other and who better to push you than your sister?”
Maria is one of those athletes, who almost had no choice but to jump into water. “My mom’s a swimmer. She swam when she was pregnant with me,” said Dudley. “My dad swam in college (Cal-San Diego). I’ve always had a passion for swimming. I took to the pool right away.”
Of course, there were other reasons Dudley chose the pool. She said she was “terrified of a softball,” “hated soccer,” and wasn’t exactly fabulous (or tall) in volleyball.
Dudley’s introduction to the water came, well, before she was born. At five, she was competing in meets. Like a lot of student-athletes, who compete in a high-demand conditioning sport like swimming, Dudley is ready for the next stage of her life – one that includes sleeping in late and staying up late.
For Dudley, that staying up late part doesn’t necessarily mean “partying.”
Senior Maria Dudley |
“There are times when you have tests and projects and papers and you need to pull an all-nighter,” she said. “But you can’t do that because you have to get up for practice. If you pull an all-nighter, you’ll be horrible in practice and it won’t be any fun. Soon, I’ll be able to stay up late and study and not worry about it.”
Because of the demands on pool access, competitive swimmers on youth teams have to take to the water early. In college, the best way to practice a team around classes is to swim early. The Lobos (typically) practice 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Monday thru Friday and 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday. They also swim in the afternoon two days a week and lift weights two days a week. They usually get Wednesday afternoon off, unless there is a community involvement effort.
It’s not all fun and games being a collegiate athlete.
“You have to have the passion for swimming or you won’t last,” said Dudley. “It’s a sport that demands dedication in order to put in all the time and effort.
“At UNM, the team aspect makes it so much fun. Here you have the same camaraderie as you do in high school swimming, so you have the fun plus the challenges that come at this level.
“Swimming at UNM has been great for me and I’ll miss my teammates, but I’m ready for the next stage.”
In a way, the next stage hasn’t changed all that much for Maria Dudley. She has a finish line or two in mind – something else to reach out and touch.
Editor’s Note: Richard Stevens is a former Associate Sports Editor and Sports Columnist for The Albuquerque Tribune. You can reach him at rstevens50@comcast.net.