Lots of action!

 The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will participate in the “Hour of Power” on Tuesday, a practice turned into a 60-minute relay training session that requires all-out efforts from the members of the squad.

The “Hour of Power” relay was established to honor Carleton College swimmer Ted Mullin, who passed away in the fall of 2006 from sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer. Funds are raised during this event to support research at the University of Chicago into the causes and treatment of sarcoma in young people.

The Lions will be swimming in memory of Ian Johnson, a Behrend men’s water polo player who passed away. On Tuesday, team members will be equally divided among the number of lanes used. All relay swims are completed in 50-yard segments and must be done with an all-out effort. All the relays need to be on the same length or at least on the same 50 segment. The objective requires constant communication and teamwork.

When the event began in 2006, 15 teams joined together to raise team spirit, cancer awareness and $11,000. Last year, the number of participating teams grew to 134 on four continents, including 103 college and university programs, 28 high school and club teams, and three student-abroad teams.