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Time
Out with:
Ashton Piers
*Junior
*Nursing
*Member of the
St. Joe's SwimTeam |
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The "Time Out" feature will provide
St. Joe's followers with an opportunity to learn more about our athletes
and other individuals involved in athletics.
The short interviews will focus on recent events in professional sports
or St. Joe's athletics, possibly current issues in the news. No specific
format will be followed; we will ask open-ended questions and discover
where the conversation takes us from there!
This week we will feature junior Ashton Piers, a Deering
High School graduate and a member of the 2007-08 Swim team. Piers is a
Nursing Major at Saint Joseph's College and lives off campus with her
family in Falmouth, ME. Piers has twice been named the GNAC Women’s
Swimmer of the Week this season and has recorded a remarkable campaign
thus far for the first-year varsity program. Piers participates in the
100-yard individual medley, 200-yard individual medley relay and 50 and
100-yard breaststroke events. Sports Information Director Corey McCarthy
conducted the following interview:
Corey McCarthy: How was your Christmas break?
Ashton Piers: I worked a lot! Even on Christmas Eve!
I had to hustle home at 7:00 AM to be with my family on Christmas Day.
CM: Where do you work?
AP: I started at Mercy Hospital in Portland as a Certified
Nurse Assistant in July (2007). It’s been a great experience and
I’ve learned so much. I love the staff, they are very supportive,
especially when I am exhausted from swim practice!
CM: What area of nursing would you like to be in after
you get your degree?
AP: I’ve been working on the Cardiac floor at Mercy
a lot, I may stay with that. I also like kids.
CM: You must have some interesting stories to tell about
your job.
AP: The idea that people go crazy at sundown is definitely
true! One night a patient tried to beat me up with his eyeglasses case
because I wouldn’t let him out of bed. I’ve also cleaned a
deceased person’s body.
CM: How was that?
AP: I was really nervous at first. Let’s just say
it was another learning experience…
CM: Your coach, Rebecca Biggs, tells stories of your
dedication to the Swim Team despite your busy work schedule and the fact
that you commute to St. Joe’s. What do you say to that?
AP: There have been some long days, you definitely have
to prioritize your time. Sometimes my schedule gets a bit hectic, like
on a day where I leave SJC after class or practice late in the day to
work a 12-hour shift at the hospital, only to return directly from Mercy
to attend a 7:00 AM swim practice.
CM: How do you do it??
AP: When I get tired I drink Red Bull! Lots of caffeine!
CM: Do you have time for hobbies?
AP: I love to watch television but don’t get much
of a chance to do so.
CM: Any favorites?
AP: I realized a couple of weeks ago that my favorite
TV show was “House.” I’ve been so busy that I completely
forgot!
CM: Why did you choose Saint Joseph's College?
AP: I love the campus, it’s beautiful here. Also,
the fact that my step-mom, Sheri McCarthy-Piers, was a nursing major here
helped me decide. I applied and was accepted at two schools but I knew
Saint Joseph's College was the place for me.
CM: Did your step-mom play sports here?
AP: Yes, she played basketball from 1989-1993. I think
her name is in the record books for assists and maybe steals. I’ve
been told they wouldn’t let her shoot the ball…
CM: She’s second all-time in assists with 603 and
fourth all-time in steals with 253. Your information may be off a bit;
she’s seventh all-time in three-pointers made (90).
AP: I’ll have to ask her about that! She’s
still involved in athletics as she runs in a lot of marathons and is the
cross country coach at Westbrook High School. She qualified for the Olympic
Marathon Trials in November.
CM: That’s amazing! Does your father run as well?
AP: He does. He’s actually going to miss the Olympic
Trials because he’s running in the Boston Marathon the next day.
CM: How about you, do you enjoy running?
AP: Oh, no. Ashton stays in the water!!
CM: Are you a big New England sports fan?
AP: I follow all of the teams, but the Red Sox are my
favorite.
CM: Any favorite players?
AP: My Big Papi!!! (Red Sox Designated Hitter, David
Ortiz)
CM: Do you ever have time to catch a game?
AP: I try to go to a game at least once a year.
CM: How about the resurgent Celtics?
AP: I’ve been following them, too. I have tickets
for their game against Atlanta in March.
CM: Did you play in other sports in high school?
AP: No, only swimming. I played soccer and softball and
danced until it became evident that my passion was swimming. I then gave
all the other activities up, swimming was more important.
CM: Since swimming is an new varsity sport at St. Joe’s
I’m certain that many students don’t know much about it. What
would you say to those people to help educate them on your sport?
AP: A lot goes into the sport. There are a lot of rules
that apply to each individual event. For example, whenever you turn in
the breaststroke you must “double touch” the pad at the end
of the lane. If you don’t you are disqualified. Many of the strokes
are very technical as well.
CM: Are injuries common?
AP: Injuries are huge in swimming, right up there with
contact sports. A lot of swimmers have shoulder issues; I swim everyday
with tendonitis in both shoulders (rolls her shoulders so clicking noise
can be heard).
CM: Any embarrassing moments you’d like to share?
AP: The worst is when the starter tells you that you
have to stand up because not all swimmers got into position at the same
time. Swimmers have to stand up on the block and it’s difficult
to maintain balance. Some fall in!
CM: Have you ever fallen in?
AP: No!
CM: When you first came to St. Joe’s as a freshman
the school didn’t have a swim team, what did you do?
AP: I swam a lot on my own.
CM: As a sophomore you were a member of the club swim
team, what was that like?
AP: As a group we really bonded under Coach (Rebecca)
Biggs. We also did a lot of fundraising to prepare for our first season
as a varsity sport in the GNAC.
CM: Your teammate, freshman Lindsay D’Ascanio (Kennebunk,
ME), seems to be having a great season as well. Do you two push each other
to become better?
AP: Definitely. We have a friendly competition and joke
around about who finishes with more points in a meet, stuff like that.
Lindsay and I have a sisterly bond.
CM: Tell us about the New England Championships (held
@ UMASS-Dartmouth 2/15-2/17).
AP: The New England’s are what it’s all about!
Each event has an “A” qualifying time and a “B”
qualifying time. If you achieve an “A” time, you are automatically
in the Championships. A “B” time means you will get in if
not enough swimmers met the “A” times.
CM: Would you like to coach someday?
AP: Yes, I would love to coach.
CM: How do you feel about the swim team’s performance
so far this season?
AP: I knew exactly where we would be; we've put in the
time so we deserve every win that we’ve gotten.
CM: Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed for
our feature!
AP: Thank you, it was fun!
|
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Time Out with
Michael Hebenstreit
Chalk
Talk
with
Mike Bolanz
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