Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/112399
Continuing a Journey By Darren Miller W hen those close to Jordan Huff found out he was ready to commit to swim at the University of Iowa, they coaxed him into keeping an open mind toward other schools. When Huff went on those other college trips, it only cemented the thought he had all along: he wanted to be a Hawkeye. ���I called and committed to Iowa before I even took my official visit here,��� Huff said Feb. 20 at a UI athletics allstaff meeting in the Feller Club Room inside CarverHawkeye Arena. ���Ever since I can remember, I have been a Hawkeye fan. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was watch the Iowa football team. ���I knew I wanted to go to Iowa, but I didn���t know if I had reached the level of skill and speed required to swim at a Division I school.��� Huff arrived at the UI as a nervous, excited ���shy kid��� from Dubuque, Iowa. He said it took a while to come out of his shell, but not once did he regret becoming a Hawkeye. ���Athletics, like college, is a journey,��� Huff said. ���While you may think everything is mapped out, there are bound to be bumps in the road. The important thing is to not allow those bumps to trip you up. That���s something our coaches do a great job of teaching us here on the swim team. They prepare us for anything.��� The Hawkeye men���s swimming and diving team participates in the Big Ten Championships from Feb. 27-March 2 in Bloomington, Ind. Huff is on top of the team leaderboard in six events: 50-yard freestyle (20.52), 100 free (44.53), 200 free relay (1:20.55), 400 free relay (2:57.15), 800 free relay (6:32.75), and 400 medley relay (3:12.71). Part of Huff ���s success here can be attributed to a philosophy he embraced during his time in Iowa City: ���The place where I failed yesterday is my goal to reach today and surpass it,��� Huff said. ���I knew that was the environment I was coming into at Iowa, and my assumption turned out to be correct.��� When he leaves the swimming program and the UI, Huff will do so as a transformed person. ���My time at Iowa has helped me be more confident in myself and all aspects of my life, not just in swimming,��� he said. ���It has been an incredible experience, and as I prepare for my final Big Ten championship meet, I cannot believe how quickly these four years go. ���As I think of when it all began, I can say that not only today is it a great day to be a Hawkeye, but every day it���s a great day to be a Hawkeye.��� Competing in swimming is a ���big-time��� obligation Huff said, one that is physically and mentally draining for the possible reward of a 1/10-second time drop. Reaching individual milestones is easier for him because of being connected to the Hawkeye team. ���When you have a team that strives to be better as a whole, it makes it easier for individual performance to be produced and at a high level,��� Huff said. ���When an individual wants to perform for the team, and give all for the team, they meet their individual goals. A strong bond to team leads to hard work.��� 75