TicketsVeteran members from the swimming and diving program answer questions to help fans get to know more Bearcats personalities. The first two to be featured are 2018-19 junior Rocky Laabs and junior Joey Puglessi.
Rocky:
What are you studying and what do you want to do with your degree? Studying communications. Minor in e-media, certificate in sports administration. I kind of don't really know, but, I'm adopted from Russia and I did a trip where there was a planner who took everyone back to Russia so you could meet your birth parents and see where you were born. So maybe something like that, along those lines.
What's the story behind your nickname? When I was younger I was super bad at swimming and I hated it and I wanted to quit, but my mom said, 'If you quit, you'll have no friends,' and that was true. So I stayed with swimming, and instead of practices I would do games with friends. Instead of just swimming back-and-forth we would just be bobbing up and down by the wall. There was one day my friend was like, 'I'm going to be a mermaid and my name is Krista.' And I was like, 'Well I'm going to be a dog.' Another friend said, 'Well, you need a different name. You sound like my old dog Rocky (because I was barking like a dog).' And then I said, 'No, my name is Sarah.' Then he kept calling me Rocky, and I got so stubborn and said everyone has to call me Rocky now. And it just kind of stuck.
What are your interests? I love foxes. I work at the zoo and I visit them every day. And I like baking. I always bake muffins and every once in a while on Monday I'll do Motivational Muffin Mondays. I'll bake for the team and they'll get a muffin and a motivational quote.
You're stranded on a desert island and can only have four things, what are they? The Bible because it's good reading and you'll never get bored. Probably a slinky because those are so fun. Maybe another slinky because I don't know what else to bring and I usually break one right away. And then probably something from home, like a stuffed animal or a picture of my dog.
You can have dinner with four people, dead or alive. Who are they? Shakespeare because you see his writing and does he really talk like that? Chloe Sutton, she's a swimmer. Vladimir Putin because he's my uncle. And probably Little Roo, my swim coach.
What fictional place would you like to visit? Narnia, but I'm already there
What show do you like to binge watch? I just finished Breaking Bad
What website do you visit most often? It used to be Club Penguin, but they shut that down, so Webkinz. I have one.
What is one question you'd like to know the answer to? This goes against my life philosophies; sometimes it's better NOT to know something.
This or that:
Dog or Cat? dog
Cake or ice cream? ice cream
Cardio or weights? weights
Sneakers or sandals? sandals
Pizza or tacos? pizza
Morning or evening? morning
Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
Rain or snow? snow
Twitter or Instagram? Instagram
Action or comedy? comedy
Batman or Superman? BATMAN
Country or city? country
Risk or caution? caution
Sprints or distance? distance
Joey:
What are you studying and what do you want to do with your degree? Marketing and finance major, secondary sales minor. Ideally, I want to get my MBA but I want to coach at the same time, collegiately. So, hopefully that works out. In the long run, I'd like to run a financial planning firm, more the marketing end of things because I'm really good with people and reading people.
Any interesting hobbies or interests? I play piano. I've played by ear since I was four so I can hear a song and I can play it. I come from a very musical family. I like writing a lot. I write for SwimSwam magazine, it's an online, visual magazine. Writing is one of my outlets, that and piano. I love traveling and I love going to the beach at my house in Michigan, especially during the summer.
Any cool stories or celeb sightings? I was at dinner in Arizona visiting my grandparents and we were at a restaurant and they seated us right next to Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt, just out of complete coincidence. We got to talk to them for a little bit.
You're stranded on a desert island and can only have four things, what are they? Seeds for a vegetable garden. Something to start a fire with. Some meat and spices because I love cooking and I feel like on a desert island I could think of some tropical recipes that could keep me going for a little bit until I could be rescued.
If you could have dinner with four people dead or alive, who would they be? Myself when I was younger. Myself right now. Me after I'm married and have kids, hopefully. And then me when I'm a grandparent.
What fictional place would you like to visit? The island from the movie Moana
What song could you hear over and over and never get sick of? Everything by Michael Buble
What show do you most like to binge watch? Friends
What website do you visit most often? I'm obsessed with traveling and flight so I visit a lot of airport websites to get news about flying and stuff like that
This or that:
Dog or Cat? dog
Cake or ice cream? ice cream
Cardio or weights? cardio
Sneakers or sandals? sneakers
Pizza or tacos? pizza
Morning or evening? evening
Chocolate or vanilla? vanilla
Rain or snow? rain
Twitter or Instagram? Twitter
Action or comedy? comedy
Batman or Superman? Superman because when I wear glasses I look like Clark Kent
Country or city? city
Risk or caution? risk
Sprints or distance? sprints
Rocky:
What are you studying and what do you want to do with your degree? Studying communications. Minor in e-media, certificate in sports administration. I kind of don't really know, but, I'm adopted from Russia and I did a trip where there was a planner who took everyone back to Russia so you could meet your birth parents and see where you were born. So maybe something like that, along those lines.
What's the story behind your nickname? When I was younger I was super bad at swimming and I hated it and I wanted to quit, but my mom said, 'If you quit, you'll have no friends,' and that was true. So I stayed with swimming, and instead of practices I would do games with friends. Instead of just swimming back-and-forth we would just be bobbing up and down by the wall. There was one day my friend was like, 'I'm going to be a mermaid and my name is Krista.' And I was like, 'Well I'm going to be a dog.' Another friend said, 'Well, you need a different name. You sound like my old dog Rocky (because I was barking like a dog).' And then I said, 'No, my name is Sarah.' Then he kept calling me Rocky, and I got so stubborn and said everyone has to call me Rocky now. And it just kind of stuck.
What are your interests? I love foxes. I work at the zoo and I visit them every day. And I like baking. I always bake muffins and every once in a while on Monday I'll do Motivational Muffin Mondays. I'll bake for the team and they'll get a muffin and a motivational quote.
You're stranded on a desert island and can only have four things, what are they? The Bible because it's good reading and you'll never get bored. Probably a slinky because those are so fun. Maybe another slinky because I don't know what else to bring and I usually break one right away. And then probably something from home, like a stuffed animal or a picture of my dog.
You can have dinner with four people, dead or alive. Who are they? Shakespeare because you see his writing and does he really talk like that? Chloe Sutton, she's a swimmer. Vladimir Putin because he's my uncle. And probably Little Roo, my swim coach.
What fictional place would you like to visit? Narnia, but I'm already there
What show do you like to binge watch? I just finished Breaking Bad
What website do you visit most often? It used to be Club Penguin, but they shut that down, so Webkinz. I have one.
What is one question you'd like to know the answer to? This goes against my life philosophies; sometimes it's better NOT to know something.
This or that:
Dog or Cat? dog
Cake or ice cream? ice cream
Cardio or weights? weights
Sneakers or sandals? sandals
Pizza or tacos? pizza
Morning or evening? morning
Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
Rain or snow? snow
Twitter or Instagram? Instagram
Action or comedy? comedy
Batman or Superman? BATMAN
Country or city? country
Risk or caution? caution
Sprints or distance? distance
Joey:
What are you studying and what do you want to do with your degree? Marketing and finance major, secondary sales minor. Ideally, I want to get my MBA but I want to coach at the same time, collegiately. So, hopefully that works out. In the long run, I'd like to run a financial planning firm, more the marketing end of things because I'm really good with people and reading people.
Any interesting hobbies or interests? I play piano. I've played by ear since I was four so I can hear a song and I can play it. I come from a very musical family. I like writing a lot. I write for SwimSwam magazine, it's an online, visual magazine. Writing is one of my outlets, that and piano. I love traveling and I love going to the beach at my house in Michigan, especially during the summer.
Any cool stories or celeb sightings? I was at dinner in Arizona visiting my grandparents and we were at a restaurant and they seated us right next to Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt, just out of complete coincidence. We got to talk to them for a little bit.
You're stranded on a desert island and can only have four things, what are they? Seeds for a vegetable garden. Something to start a fire with. Some meat and spices because I love cooking and I feel like on a desert island I could think of some tropical recipes that could keep me going for a little bit until I could be rescued.
If you could have dinner with four people dead or alive, who would they be? Myself when I was younger. Myself right now. Me after I'm married and have kids, hopefully. And then me when I'm a grandparent.
What fictional place would you like to visit? The island from the movie Moana
What song could you hear over and over and never get sick of? Everything by Michael Buble
What show do you most like to binge watch? Friends
What website do you visit most often? I'm obsessed with traveling and flight so I visit a lot of airport websites to get news about flying and stuff like that
This or that:
Dog or Cat? dog
Cake or ice cream? ice cream
Cardio or weights? cardio
Sneakers or sandals? sneakers
Pizza or tacos? pizza
Morning or evening? evening
Chocolate or vanilla? vanilla
Rain or snow? rain
Twitter or Instagram? Twitter
Action or comedy? comedy
Batman or Superman? Superman because when I wear glasses I look like Clark Kent
Country or city? city
Risk or caution? risk
Sprints or distance? sprints