AIDEN CADDELL | STAFF REPORTER | acaddell@butler.edu
“Welcome to the Team” is a Q&A series where the Collegian sits down with first-year student-athletes who are entering their first season at Butler University. These articles will address why they chose Butler, what they hope to get out of this season and some personal tidbits that you won’t find anywhere else. This Week, Aiden Caddell sat down with three first-years on the women’s swimming team: Sarah Jones, Madeleine Russell, and Gabi Rapetti.
Sarah Jones is a freestyle and backstroke swimmer from Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: When and why did you start swimming?
SARAH JONES: I started swimming at the age of five. My parents put me in because my brothers were in it, and my parents were college swimmers, too. They wanted to get me into swimming because they had a good experience with the sport and wanted me to have that experience too.
TBC: Why did you choose to swim at Butler?
SJ: I always really enjoyed Butler, but I wanted to keep my options open. I looked at a bunch of other schools, but after getting a visit here, I instantly fell in love with it. I fell in love with the team and the culture that they had.
TBC: What have the highs and lows of your season been so far?
SJ: My low has been balancing athletics and academics. In the past, I was able to focus a lot more on being an athlete, and now I feel like I really have also incorporated the student part of it. Balancing those two has been a lot harder, but that has also created my high of the season, finding that I am so much more than my sport. I can create friendships and lifelong memories.
TBC: What has been different about living in Indianapolis here at Butler?
SJ: What’s been great for me, being from [near] Cincinnati, is the similar structure of a big city. Honestly, location-wise has been pretty similar too. The biggest difference coming to Indy is that it is a lot windier here.
TBC: Who is your favorite swimmer?
SJ: I have a top three. My favorite swimmer is Regan Smith, because she’s a back-stroker. She’s done a lot for the sport of swimming and the backstroke. Equally though, I really like to watch the Walsh sisters, [Alex and Gretchen]. They have done a lot for the sport; it is incredible how much they have done in the past four years at Virginia.
TBC: Which do you like better: morning practice or afternoon practice?
SJ: Honestly, I am a morning practice person. I like to get the day started and get [the workout] over with, but in a good way.
TBC: What is your go-to hype up song?
SJ: Club Can’t Handle Me, Flo Rida.
Madeleine Russell is a sprint-distance freestyle swimmer from Medina, Ohio. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
TBC: When and why did you start swimming?
MADELEINE RUSSELL: I started swimming because my mom put me on the swim team when I was six years old. It was a good life skill, and since then, I have stayed swimming.
TBC: Why did you choose to swim at Butler?
MR: I chose Butler because of the astronomy and astrophysics program, but I also chose it because I had the opportunity to swim here, and I did not want to quit my sport.
TBC: What have the highs and lows of your season been so far?
MR: My low has been the adjustment from high school to college swimming. It’s very different. I don’t always get the times that I want. A high has been getting to know this amazing team and forming new friendships with everyone.
TBC: What has been different about living in Indianapolis here at Butler?
MR: I really like Indianapolis. I had never been here before, so coming to Butler and living in the big city has been amazing compared to the small town I am from.
TBC: Who is your favorite swimmer?
MR: Katie Ledecky has always been super inspiring because she has been at the top of her game for so long. Her endurance is amazing with all her long-distance swims.
TBC: What is your favorite event in swimming?
MR: My favorite event is the [50-meter] freestyle. It’s short, easy and fun.
TBC: What is your favorite movie?
MR: “The Avengers.”
Gabi Rapetti is a freestyle and breaststroke swimmer from Rochester Hills, Michigan. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
TBC: When and why did you start swimming?
GABI RAPETTI: I started swimming when I was around seven years old, and I needed a sport [to compete in]. My dad knew the local swim team well, so he put me on it, and I have stuck with it ever since.
TBC: Why did you choose to swim at Butler?
GR: I chose Butler because as soon as I walked on campus, I felt at home. Everyone was super welcoming, and [head coach Maurice Stewart] seemed like a great coach. It was everything I needed in my athletic career. I really love the faculty in the physics department as well.
TBC: What have the highs and lows of your season been so far?
GR: My lows have definitely been time management and being able to handle being both a student and an athlete. A high is getting to know the team. There [are] people [on the team] who are willing to support you no matter what happens.
TBC: What has been different about living in Indianapolis here at Butler?
GR: I’ve been coming to this area every year since I was ten years old, so I’m pretty familiar with it. It’s pretty similar to my hometown, except we don’t get as much snow here. For a funny answer: people do not know how to drive very well.
TBC: Who is your favorite swimmer?
GR: My favorite swimmer when I was younger was Missy Franklin. She was really inspiring to me. My favorite swimmer now is Thomas Ceccon. I love watching him.
TBC: What is your favorite event in swimming?
GR: My favorite event is probably the 200-meter breaststroke because it is challenging, but it’s a great event to do.
TBC: What is your go-to Starbucks order?
GR: An iced chai.
