Olympic Glory
Cullen Jones (left) and Dan Velez will compete for the United States and Puerto Rico, respectively, at the Beijing Games.
By Dave Pond, Web Communication
Editor's Note (8/12): On Sunday, August 11, Cullen Jones and the U.S. men's 4x100 relay team took gold with a stunning rally to best France in Olympic action. Read about it at the newly-redesigned GoPack.com. Earlier in the weekend, Dan Velez won his 100-meter breastroke heat and broke the Puerto Rican record in the 100-meter breaststroke to finish 33rd overall. He also blogged for GoPack.com about his experiences in Beijing. Congratulations to both Jones and Velez – NC State couldn't be more proud of its Olympians!
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When the world's greatest swimmers hit the blocks this weekend at the Beijing Olympics, a pair of former NC State swimmers will be right in the thick of the gold-medal hunt.
Success is nothing new for Dan Velez
(Puerto Rico) and Cullen Jones (U.S.A.), teammates at NC State from 2004-06
who excelled in the pool and the classroom while helping to change the
face of one of the Summer Olympics' most-popular sports.
"We are proud as a university to have two of our athletes competing in the Summer Olympic Games," NC State chancellor James L. Oblinger said. "This is a great opportunity for people across the world to hear and learn more about NC State and some of the great talent of the Wolfpack."
Velez's multicultural heritage offered him the option to vie for a spot on the U.S., Israeli and Puerto Rican Olympic teams, while Jones - a member of USA Swimming - made history in 2006 as the first African American swimmer to break a world record for the United States, during competition at the Pan Pacific Championships.
"The Olympics is the biggest athletic stage that there is and for swimming in particular, it's kind of a time when the sport shines and grabs a lot of attention that it doesn't usually receive during non-Olympic years," said Brooks Teal, NC State head coach for men's and women's swimming and diving. "We're just as excited as we can be for both Cullen and Dan - it's the chance of a lifetime, and I know they are going to make the most of it.
"Regardless of how fast they swim, both of these young men are role models to anybody from any race or culture," Teal said. "They are just the most humble, easy-to-get-along-with, nice young men, and men that I am unbelievably proud to have associated with our team and the university."
But speed is what punched the pair's ticket to Beijing, where Jones will compete as a member of the United States' 4x100-meter freestyle relay team and Velez will represent Puerto Rico in the 100-meter breaststroke. Both swimmers are well-seasoned in international competition, gathering international medals, record times and much-needed experience as the 2008 Games drew near.
"There's a whole world of difference," Velez said. "Overseas, you're being started by a starter who most likely doesn't speak English, and you see all kinds of different people and hear all kinds of languages around you.
"It's kind of funny - you can wish the other guys 'good luck,' and tell them 'good job' after a race, but they have no idea what you are saying, and it's the basically the same way when they say something back to you," he said. "It was all a bit nerve-racking at first, but I think I did well and it really helped prepare me for Beijing without having to worry about it being my first time swimming in a foreign environment."
A Maryland native, Velez grew up visiting his father Jose's native Puerto Rico each year with his family. Jose passed away during Velez's senior year at NC State, but left a priceless inheritance behind - one his son claimed on March 7 with a successful 100-meter breaststroke qualifying time at a competition held in Austin, Texas.
"You can't ask for a greater gift than for this kind of opportunity," Velez said. "Before my dad passed away, he had dreams of me competing for Puerto Rico.
"He knew I'd have a chance, and I think he would be very proud with the way things have turned out."
It's also a foregone conclusion that both Jose and Andrea Velez would have been equally as proud of their son's efforts in the classroom - after transferring from Penn State in 2005, Velez hit his stride academically at NC State, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in psychology.
"I worked hard to be very successful academically and in swimming, and I am really proud of that," Velez said. "During an athlete's time at NC State, you're told time and time again that you're are not just an athlete but a student-athlete. I really took that to heart, and now I am better for it."
Velez never found his comfort level at Penn State, and didn't know much about the NC State swim program before he was put in contact with former NC State assistant coach Chad Onken. After talking with Onken and meeting some of his soon-to-be Wolfpack teammates during a recruiting visit, Velez knew NC State was the right fit. Alongside Jones, the Olympians continues to provide current NC State swimmers with a tangible example of what can be accomplished through hard work, dedication and determination.
"Dan and Cullen just make that Olympic dream much more real and exciting," Teal said. "They see that two of their own have made it to the highest level, so it inspires and motivates them.
"It certainly helps with recruiting as well," the Wolfpack coach added with a laugh.
Velez and Cullen's participation in the Beijing Games will increase the number of former NC State swimmers who have competed on the Olympic level to 12, shining a renewed spotlight on Teal and a swim program that has blossomed since the coach's arrival on campus in 2000.
"We've already had a pretty amazing swimming tradition here at NC State - you can see all the records and past Olympians up on the wall in the natatorium - but to have two of us going to the Olympics this year alone is definitely something for recruits to think about, and just another great reason to come to NC State," Velez said. "I came from a place where I wasn't nearly as happy, so coming here to NC State was just kind of 'dreamlike.'
The feeling is mutual - as Jones and Cullen prepare to compete on athletics' most historic stage, they'll not only have their own families' support but that of NC State's students, faculty and alumni as well. During a sendoff celebration held in late July, university leaders presented the swimmers with Wolfpack pins to exchange with fellow competitors during the storied Olympic tradition.
"In sharing the pins with Cullen and Dan," Oblinger said, "I hope it will serve as a reminder to each of them that their Wolfpack family has great pride in their accomplishments and that we will be cheering them on from Raleigh."
