The buzz about the men's swim team

GROVE CITY, Pa.-- Members of the Westminster men's swimming & diving team returned to campus as runner-ups in the PAC tournament. They also returned bald.  When they left campus for the competition earlier in the week, they sported beards and blonde hair.  So what's up with the pre-and-post tournament makeovers?

Swimmers are never shy about the fact that they often shave their bodies.  It's part of the game to glide faster through the water. They shave not only to reduce drag, but primarily to remove the top layer of skin and nick the nerves so they feel the water more and swim faster.  However, beards, bleaching and going bald are unique to the Titan swim crew.  Growing beards is a time-honored tradition going into the spring semester.  It's a whacky way to promote comradery among the guys. 

Members then ratchet up the rituals by bleaching each other's hair blonde.  Finally, on the eve of PACs, sequestered in their Grove City hotel room, it's time to say goodbye to those golden locks. The shaving gel and razors come out along with the clippers. Members are not sure how long this tradition has been around for Titan swimmers, but they admit it fosters team spirit and helps them get psyched before they hit the water.

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Wonder what the housekeeping staff at the hotel in Grove City thought when they came in to clean the sinks and showers the next day?