Athletes get locked in for their competitions in different ways. An iPod full of Chiddy Bang, Young Jeezy and Tupac Shakur does the trick for Ball State sophomore swimmer Michael Weber.
"I kind of take everything the same way, get my music in and get pumped," he said. "Right now I'm on ‘Against a Mad World' by Tupac. That gets me going."
Though the Tupac and Gary Jules mash-up may help, Weber has already shown himself to be an excellent athlete with the mental focus to be one of the top Cardinal swimmers at the Mid-American Conference Championships.
"Michael is very athletic and competitive, and he's always able to find that extra little bit," men's swim coach Bob Thomas said. "He can take it down to the wire and you can't coach that will to win."
After turning in three career-best efforts at the MAC Championships as a freshman, Weber quickly set his sights on 2011.
"I made a goal sheet at the end of last year and at the time I wanted to finish in the top 16 at MAC this year, but I kind of changed it as time went on and now I want to finish in the top 12," Weber said.
Weber is in striking distance of that goal with a month to go until the MAC Championships.
He owns the 17th-best time in the MAC in the 100-yard backstroke, the 19th-best time in the 200 back, the 20th-best time in the 200 IM and is part of the 400 freestyle relay group that has posted the 7th-best mark.
His background as a multi-sport athlete contributes to his ability to swim a variety of events. An all-district honorable mention football player and all-county baseball player at Elyria Catholic High School in Ohio, Weber said playing different sports made him a better swimmer over time.
"Football, with all the weight training, makes you stronger and correlates to swimming especially as a sprinter," he said. "The biggest thing was that it took my mind off swimming and was something different because swimming is by far the most grueling sport on your body."
Weber also made it a point to mention his teammates and their chemistry as a big reason for his success.
"The intensity in practice is through the roof," he said. "Everyone is working hard day in and day out. Everyone pushes each other not only in the pool but also in the weight room."
The Cardinals have one meet remaining, at Miami(OH) on Saturday, before gearing up for the MAC Championships. Throughout the year, several Cardinal swimmers have mentioned aiming for top-12 or top-eight finishes in conference.
With the requisite competitive drive and team intensity, look for Weber to be one of those who achieves that goal.
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