University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Spotlight - Meredith Gouger
11/27/2014 | Women's Swimming & Diving
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| Spider Bytes | |
| Class: | Senior |
| Hometown: | Cockeysville, Md. |
| High School: | Dulaney |
| Swim Club: | Eagle Swim Team |
| Major(s): | Accounting |
| See Our Previous Spotlights | |
Twice a month, we'll visit with a different Spider student-athlete in the Wells Fargo Spider Spotlight. Each sport in season will also have profiles on their respective sport's home page.
Did You Know...
• Between graduation and starting her job, Meredith wants to visit Germany
• She is a huge country music fan and caught a Kenny Chesney concert in Baltimore when she was little. "Luke Bryan is without a doubt my favorite artist," she said. "I've only been to one concert, but I want to go again and I have all of his songs on my computer." When asked if she would be a valuable teammate at a Luke Bryan trivia contest, she quickly stated, "I would win."
• Life after swimming... "I want to do more open water swims. I have done two. It's just you and the water. I find it peaceful and it is geared more towards how I like to train."
• Life after swimming, part two... "I want to spend more time at the beach. I wish I could go more. I like my toes being in the sand and being in the water. I know how to surf. I would like to have a place at the beach in the future."
• Regarding her senior year at UR... "I am trying to slow the year down. I definitely enjoy coming to practice every day more than I did last year and I am trying to get to know the freshman a lot more than I have in the past, because they only get one senior class to look up to. I want to leave the team in a better place than when I arrived."
Meet Meredith...
Career aspirations: CPA, I'm interning with KPMG this summer in their Baltimore office
Three words to describe yourself: Committed, Hardworking, Responsible
Best or most memorable moment as a member of your Spider program: Winning A-10s the past three years obviously comes to mind first. The meet is always so exciting and it is great to see the hard work everyone has put in during the year pay off. Getting to be on the winning 800 free relay this past year was also memorable. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to be on a relay so it was a real honor. My favorite memory outside of the pool is when almost the entire team went to the Luke Bryan concert my sophomore year. It was so much fun to go see my favorite artist with some of my best friends.
The best nickname on the team: Kelley probably has the most unique one. I don't know anyone else who has the nickname “the eel.” Our former assistant, Travis, wins the award for the most nicknames.
Strengths: Hard Work: I love to swim and work hard. I feel at home in the water. For me, I find coming to practice and doing a hard set a lot of fun…and also very calming. Even though I am tired and sore at the end of a practice, I love the feeling of completing a challenging set. Also, I don't like procrastination, so I tend to plan ahead and stay organized.
Toughest opponents: I try not to think about any particular opponent. I love to swim. When I go to a meet I just have fun and enjoy racing. There isn't a need for me to over analyze the competition because I can only control what I do. Ultimately, it comes down to me executing my race plan to the best of my ability…while having fun!
Working to improve: Anything and everything. Even the Olympians have things they can improve on. I've found that, as I have gotten older, the little things matter more. So whether it is improving my body position, or eating healthier, there is always room for improvement.
Best sports memory: Anchoring the 800 freestyle relay that won from the first heat at A-10's in 2014
Favorite meal: Gram's Spaghetti and Meatballs
Favorite ice cream: Pumpkin Gingersnap, Coffee, Black Raspberry, Mint Chocolate Chip. There are too many for me to pick just one!
On your playlist: Country, country and more country, especially Luke Bryan. I love Luke!!
Most embarrassing thing on your playlist: Somehow Hannah Montana ended up on my phone. Not going to lie, I'm a bigger fan of Miley in her Hannah Montana phase, then her current one.
If you have one wish: I would like to see people be nicer to each other. If everyone treats others with kindness, we would all have more peace in our lives.
What most people don't know about you: I did ballet when I was little. I only lasted 2 years. I found out at a very young age that I am rhythmically challenged.
If you could go on any game show: The Amazing Race so I can travel to cool places, but I wouldn't be the one to eat the gross things.
Hidden talent: I used to be able to do the worm. I haven't tried recently since I don't want to hurt myself.
Dream car: A black pickup truck
If you could travel anywhere in the world: I really want to go to Europe, especially Germany. I also love anywhere with a water sports and the beach, so I wouldn't mind spending some time in the Caribbean.
Favorite class: I'm enjoying Audit this semester and I also enjoyed Operations Management. Also, any history class with Professor Treadway is worth taking.
Pets: None. I went through a lot of hermit crabs as a kid.
Hero: My Mom – She makes so many sacrifices for my sister and I. She has spent countless hours driving us to practice and sitting at meets. She is our biggest fan, even if we aren't swimming well. She instilled strong values in me that I am grateful that I have had to guide me through college
Favorite childhood TV show: I was really, really into Barney as a kid.
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive: Ronald Reagan or Abraham Lincoln
If you could have any superpower: Teleportation. Sometimes travel can be stressful…and I can get impatient when stuck in traffic or an airport.