Saturday, April 8, 2017---37th Annual Swim with Mike
Trojan Candy arrived at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center by 10:00 a.m. to shop at the "Treasure Chest" and to register for Swim with Mike. I don't swim but chose the option to walk around the pool. Did I ever do a lot of walking!
My first stop was the "Silent Auction" area.
I saw USC Swim Coach Dave Salo and USC Board of Counselors Member Jerry Anderson checking out the items.
Trojan Candy looked at this Will Farrell autographed Cow Bell.
This video shows a USC Song Girl doing a belly flop. David Freedman was the announcer.
At the stage, Trojan Candy tried to take a picture of the Song Girl who did the dive. I was told that she went to go change. So I took this picture of the other Song Girls.
Back at the diving boards, I took this picture of announcer David Freedman (in front) with the judges. He is an IT Director at Sony Pictures.
David posed with Rohan who was crowned the winner of the "Biggest Splash" contest.
Under the diving board were two friends, Mike and Lois Valerio.
Trojan Candy was still on the move. Now it was time for the formal ceremony. I spoke with USC alumnus and Olympian John Naber. He posed beautifully for this picture.
John Naber started the Swim with Mike ceremony.
This video shows the USC Song Girls and Spirit Leaders performing as the Spirit of Troy played "Fight On" in the stands.
Trojan Candy took pictures of the USC Spirit Leaders Team.
More Spirit Leaders.
Next, I took pictures of the dignitaries on the stage.
Mike Nyeholt smiled with a scholarship recipient Jennifer McCallson.
The other scholarship recipient Shane Mosko, Jennifer McCallson, Becky Gramstrup, and Patrick Stanton all smiled for Trojan Candy.
Friend Becky Gramstrup presented Patrick with the "Claire Snow Volunteer of the Year Award" named after her mother.
Now, it was time for the Football Player/Song Girl Relay. Trojan Candy managed to be right in the middle of the action.
A football player (?) gets ready for the relay with a Song Girl.
Song Girl Laura cheers for the start of the relay.
As Trojan Candy turned to her left, I saw a familiar face. Uchenna Nwosu let me take his picture.
Three football players---Reid Budrovich, Wyatt Schmidt, and Chris Tilbey---enjoyed watching the diving action while resting on pool tubes.
Several football players climbed the tower and dived in.
This video shows some of the players having fun jumping off the boards.
As Trojan Candy was walking out of the stadium to the lunch area, I saw two very familiar faces. Michael Hutchings and Chris Hawkins smiled for me once again.
My last picture of the Swim with Mike was of friends Monica Morita and James Toland IV.