Eric Geunes will become a Badger this fall but he has a lot more on his mind than just SOAR and whether his roommate will steal his laptop or not.
The recent high school graduate, along with six other incoming Badger freshmen, will swim at the Olympic Trials, which begin Sunday June 26th in Omaha, Nebraska. It will be these athletes' first chance to impress as Badger swimmers in a program that’s never been this successful. The incoming Badgers who have qualified to swim at Olympic Trials are Camille Hodge, Michael Milinovich, Abby Kochevar, Beata Nelson, Megan Doty, and Hannah Lindsey.
Geunes is a native of Gainesville, Florida, and is currently competing for Gator Swim Club. He is mostly a freestyler, although he said he also enjoys the 200m butterfly. He has qualified for Olympic Trials in the 400-meter freestyle.
Although he had a multitude of schools pursuing his talents, Geunes says his final four was North Carolina, Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin.
“What really made my decision were the people and the atmosphere,” Geunes said. “UW has amazing coaches and I felt like I fit in really well with the team.”
Geunes also said that he “wanted to be a part of a highly ranked school in both academics and swimming,” which fits the profile of Wisconsin.
Hoping to eventually graduate with a degree in chemical engineering, Geunes comes to UW after earning the highest A-level chemistry score in the country.
“I’m really just looking forward to having more freedom in exploring classes that really interest me,” Geunes said.
Geunes committed to UW fairly early in the process, but has still made some connections with others joining the team in the fall.
“I’ve been talking to [Camille Hodge] the most so far,” Geunes said. “She’ll be my roommate and we got to meet each other at Winter Juniors. I’m really excited for Trials though because I’ve only been able to meet her and Kendall [Smith] in person since everyone committed in the fall.”
Geunes is also looking forward to meeting many of his new teammates in Omaha, where nineteen current Badger swimmers will be competing.
“[We’ve all started bonding] a little bit,” Geunes said. “It’s been difficult because we’re all from so many different parts of the nation and we don’t see each other that often at meets, but we’ve stayed in contact and we’re really excited to finally be in the same place in a few months. I’m sure we will try to find a time to get together [in Omaha].”
As for what Geunes is most excited about coming August when he officially steps foot on campus, it’s pretty much a no-brainer for him.
“It’s got to be the weather,” he said. “I’ve lived in Florida since I was less than a year old, so I don’t really know what a real winter feels like.”
