The Observer, December 1, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 12
Well-traveled Lauren Preyss returns home, finds niche
If a prospective college student were to map out colleges across the country that are exact opposites, a good compilation would include Penn State University, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Arizona. One thing that they all do have in common is that Lauren Preyss has attended and swam at each of them.
Preyss, a junior who originally hails from nearby Chagrin Falls, has transferred twice, from the desert southwest to a Big Ten state school, and now to Case. Along the way she has helped carve her niche, and this year she hopes to help the Spartans to a successful season.
Preyss comes from a large family with great ties, so going to school in Tucson was difficult. After her first year there, she transferred to PSU. However, the rigors of Division I athletics took a toll on Preyss.
"Division I is a job. You are there to swim. Your life is swimming. I wanted more of an emphasis on education," she said.
That is where Case came into the equation. After debating whether she wanted to go through transferring again, Preyss decided to go through with her decision and come to a school where she could excel academically and still compete in the pool. The adjustment was not easy, but it has smoothed out and now Preyss feels comfortable as a Spartan.
"Case is completely different than anything I'm used to, but it has been great. The team is wonderful, I get along with all the girls, and the coaches are great," Preyss said. "I really like all the opportunities I have here in regard to academics, like how closely the school and the hospitals work together. But I have to admit that I really miss the PSU tailgating and football games."
Even though Preyss acknowledges that the students here do not party to the extent that many did at PSU, she feels that everyone knows how to go out and have a good time while staying academically strong. Also, by being closer to a city (the closest city to Penn State is 2.5 hours away), she can take advantage of everything else Cleveland has to offer.
Athletically, Preyss has made a commitment to the program and has high aspirations for the Spartans in 2006-2007. Individually, she would like to win a national title; for the team she feels that it can place in the top three of the University Athletic Association and get a relay team to nationals.
"I am able to swim my main events, but in dual meets sometimes I get to swim some off events to help out the team," Preyss said about her role on the team. "It's fun to swim different events instead of my main ones over and over."
Although she took five months off while transferring, Preyss has been able to get back into shape. So well, in fact, that she feels it's the best shape she's ever been in. Preyss cross-trained by not only swimming and lifting weights, but also by adding running, biking, tae-bo, and kickboxing. She also managed to take some personal time to visit her family, get a job, and take vacations.
After Preyss is done leading the Spartan swimmers this season, she hopes to swim at the Olympic Trials in 2007. Beyond that, the sky is the limit for this student. She has aspirations of traveling and immersing herself in another culture, working for corporations across the world, and going to graduate school.
"My life has been so unexpected up until now. Who knows what I'll end up doing after college," she said.
One certainty in her life is a desire to succeed both in the classroom and in the pool. That drive coupled with her strong family ties to Cleveland have led to a roundabout situation where both Case and Preyss can benefit.
