The Morning Swim Show, May 10, 2012: Jon Christensen Looks Back on Swimming Career at Princeton

PHOENIX, Arizona, May 10. PRINCETON senior Jon Christensen joins today's edition of The Morning Swim Show to look back on his successful season with the Tigers.

Christensen, who was named male mid-major college swimmer of the year by collegeswimming.com, talks about competing at his first NCAA championships, and making the final of the 200 breast as well. He's been steadily improving at Princeton, and he talks about how he's helped his team win four Ivy League team titles. He also discusses the possibility of a sequel to the team's popular “Teenage Dream” video. Stay tuned after the show to watch the “Teenage Dream” video and see Christensen's bit part in it. Be sure to visit SwimmingWorld.TV for more video interviews.

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Morning Swim Show Transcripts
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Peter Busch: This is the Morning Swim Show for Thursday, May 10th, 2012. I am your host Peter Busch. In the FINIS Monitor today we talk to Jon Christensen. He is a senior at Princeton University. He was just named collegeswimming.com's male mid-major swimmer of the year. Jon joins us right now in the FINIS Monitor from Princeton, New Jersey. Hey Jon welcome to the Morning Swim Show, how are you?

Jon Christensen: Hi. I'm fine Peter Thank you.

Peter Busch: Hey congratulations on the award. It is great.

Jon Christensen: Thank you very much.

Peter Busch: You had a heck of a senior year. That is the way it is supposed to happen, right, go out with a bang?

Jon Christensen: Yeah. I am very happy about it of course.

Peter Busch: Was this your first NCAA's that you qualified for?

Jon Christensen: Yeah it actually was. I was very close to each of my former three years. This year I finally broke through and managed to make it through the meet.

Peter Busch: Yeah and managed a final at the meet and the 200 breaststroke and break I think in prelims you went even faster and broke the score record?

Jon Christensen: I set the school record and the lead record at a Ivy championships but I dropped over a second at the NCAA prelims to have an even faster record.

Peter Busch: That rarely happens for people at their first NCAA meet especially on the double taper so I mean what was it about being at that first meet that you were somehow able to harness the adrenaline?

Jon Christensen: Yeah, I am not sure I wasn't. I didn't have the meet. I actually found out I wasn't too overwhelmed by the whole arena and fast swimming, but I was a bit surprised at how fast I went, especially on my first double taper.

Peter Busch: At Princeton you guys have a great swim team. You had won 4 straight ivy league titles is that right?

Jon Christensen: Yes that is correct.

Peter Busch: So you had a big hand in that congratulations on that as well.

Jon Christensen: Yeah, thank you. Of course.

Peter Busch: Tell us about you know where you grew as a person and as a swimmer from the day you walked into college and then now that you are leaving.

Jon Christensen: Well I guess first of all in high school of course I swam club team, but swimming was kind of just an activity. I never really got too excited about it and then when I came to college, like wow the whole college swim experience was just something complete new to me and I think that is what helped me really take hold of my own performances and go to the next level.

Peter Busch: Where are you from and how did you end up at Princeton?

Jon Christensen: So I am from Reston, Virginia which is in Northern Virginia so I swam on the Curl-Burke swim team and so we actually had a number of people who not only from my high school and club team but just the area who end up at Princeton and so I guess I had a strong connection to the team already, but my mother just, of course when she heard an ivy league school was interested in me had me go full force into recruiting there and that is just how I ended up here.

Peter Busch: What did you study there or what do you study?

Jon Christensen: I study in psychology. I am still, still not done with courses yet but pretty soon in the next few weeks I will hopefully graduate.

Peter Busch: Very cool What is a Princeton Graduation tradition that you guys do there or something that you are really excited about?

Jon Christensen: Well I guess each year we have our reunions which is basically when all of the alumni come back and that takes place before graduation so it is almost like a little initiation for the seniors and into the alumni.

Peter Busch: Oh and that sounds pretty cool.

Jon Christensen: Yeah.

Peter Busch: Well what are you looking for to doing after you graduate?

Jon Christensen: Well right now my plans are just to go home and look for a job so — but I am also considering overseas opportunities and I guess I just — I have family in Singapore so maybe I will try and getting some experience there as well.

Peter Busch: Nice and you always have the you know, in addition to a Princeton Degree for a resume tape you can show them the “Teenage Dream” video that you guys made.

Jon Christensen: Oh yeah, of course.

Peter Busch: What role did you play in that video, refresh our memories of where you were in that video?

Jon Christensen: So I only appeared in the video once but I had a strong behind the scenes role, I guess.I have followed behind the director and was there when he filmed every scene. There is one scene when Katy Perry is singing about skin tight jeans and I just appear with a few other people wearing skin tight jeans and that takes place at the end of the video.

Peter Busch: God, well it gave us all the good laugh that was very, very cool. Have you guys consider a sequel for that?

Jon Christensen: I am sure if we had another teammate who was in the hospital that is we would make one for him too.

Peter Busch: Yeah. Well Jon congratulations on the success at Princeton. We wish you the best of luck going forward.

Jon Christensen: Thank you very much.

Peter Busch: All right that is Jon Christensen joining us in the FINIS Monitor today from Princeton and that is it for today's show. I am Peter Bush reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.

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