SWAMI's Seamus Appel Receives Honor at Denison U

SWAMI's Seamus Appel Receives Honor at Denison University

GRANVILLE, OH -- On Friday, October 4th, Race Swami's Seamus Appel was awarded the prestigious honor of Denison University Swimming & Diving's 2013 Coach's Award. According to Jeff Appel, Seamus' father, the award is usually given to a senior swimmer. Seamus received the honor after just completing his freshman season in 2012-13 at Denison. In fact, Seamus just began training for his sophomore season last month.

Seamus, who has been a member of Race Swami since its inception in January 2011, has received numerous awards during his illuminous high school swimming career at Judge Memorial Catholic High School under the direction of Race Swami head coach Matt Finnigan, who retired from the Judge Memorial post last February. That career included a Most Improved Swimmer award in 2009, Most Valuable in 2011, and finally, the Lily M. Finnigan Award in 2012, the highest honor a swimmer at Judge Memorial Catholic High School can receive. That award represents honor, leadership, value, persistence, and inspiration in and out of the pool. Seamus has also received similar awards for his contributions competing for Race Swami, including the Fleur Di Lis Award for Most Inspirational this past summer. 

The latest award at Denison comes as a surprise to Seamus. "I can't say I was expecting this honor having been at Denison for just one year and knowing there were so many worthy recipients," Seamus said. "But it's a tremendous honor and ensures that I will strive to work harder than ever and give more to this great program. I couldn't have won this award without the values Matt taught me."

According to Finnigan, he was not surprised by the honor Seamus received, but was most certainly excited and proud. "Over the years, I've never had a swimmer who worked harder than Seamus, nor one who led as well as Seamus in a way that was so selfless. He gave our program so much more than just being a fast kid in the water. He gave others around him the belief that they could excel and be better athletes. He was our greatest leader."

Finnigan noted that when Seamus entered his swim program as a freshman in high school, he was not an accomplished swimmer at that time. "As I got to know him, I knew this kid would be special because of his work ethic and willingness to give it everything he had," Finnigan said. "His sense of 'team' was second to none. He was the most tenacious swimmer I ever coached. And he was inquisitive; he always wanted to learn something from this sport every day."

Under Finnigan's direction, Seamus served as team captain for two years at Judge Memorial. Subsequently, he also still serves as Honorary Team Captain for Race Swami, even while he trains and competes more than a thousand miles away for nine months out of the year.  "It's been a tremendous honor to coach Seamus; he gives you nothing but his best, even under the most challenging of circumstances. He's going to continue to soar at Denison; that program is a perfect fit for him to continue to flourish."

Denison University, located in Granville, Ohio has been noted as the top Division III swimming program in the nation over the past decade. So too, the academic standards at Denison are said to be some of the most stringent. Seamus is currently a Philosophy, Politics and Economics major.

The Coach's Award reads:
"Given annually by the coach to a swimmer who best demonstrates, throughout the season, the true spirit of Denison swimming. It is an award in which the means justify the end. It is given not only for hard work and personal improvement, but for a willingness to understand, to learn, to enter into a partnership with coach and teammates in an effort to recognize one's full potential. The recipient of the award has participated in the struggle each and every day, and in the end found victory over his or her own limitations."