June 8, 2012

Contact: Tim Ertle

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While students all over the country take some time for rest and relaxation at the conclusion of the school year, Cleveland State swimmer Alice Sommerville - a rising senior - continues to put in the extra work that allows her to standout above the rest.

The New Zealand native recently returned from Belize, located on the north eastern coast of Central America, where she was serving the community as part of a service learning trip with Engineers Without Borders, a non-profit group dedicated to helping people in developing countries. The Cleveland State chapter, headed by student Richard Obratil and Dr. Norbert Delatte, worked on the construction of a school in the village of August Pine Ridge, capping off a project that started back in 2009.

Sommerville, who earned honorable mention All-American status from CollegeSwimming.com in late April, has been a part of the project over the past three years in a fundraising capacity with activities that range from bake sales to helping with golf outings. Other CSU students - anywhere between two and three dozen - have made the voyage to Belize in the past but commitments to training and academics didn't allow Sommerville to make the trip until this summer.

Once in Belize, Sommerville and company had to deal with extreme weather and fight off the heat index that reached as hot as 121 degrees. The group - which consisted of seven Cleveland State students, Delatte and his son - braved the elements while painting, tiling and putting the finishing touches on the new school building that contains three classrooms, administrative offices, a library, a bathroom and a computer room with Internet access.

For a village of 2,200 people that sends children to school from pre-school age through the eighth grade, a new school building was a necessity. Classrooms were bursting at the seams, forcing a bike shed to be transformed into a classroom. There are four smaller buildings on the property in addition to the new structure that was built to be so sturdy that it could double as a hurricane shelter.

"When we got there, it was apparent that the school didn't have enough physical space to accommodate the class sizes," Sommerville said. "The people were so welcoming to us and grateful for what we were doing. Despite the living conditions, they were so happy and it was great to be able to help them."

The group from Cleveland State lived out of a trailer and away from their cell phones and the Internet. The locals provided meals three times a day, often offering rice and beans out of their homes.

"I came home and saw what I have and it almost feels unfair. To be able to receive an excellent education at Cleveland State University and train in a world class facility like the Robert F. Busbey Natatorium demonstrates how good we have it," Sommerville said.

She humbly omits the fact that she has worked for what she has earned. She maintains a 3.55 GPA while working toward a degree in civil engineering. Her class schedule differs from that of the prototypical student-athlete and forces her to train with a small group and often times by herself.

"I haven't been able to train with the team for probably a year and a half," Sommerville laughed. "I work with assistant coach April Woo and sometimes will go weeks without seeing teammates at the pool because our academic schedules don't allow us to train at the same time."

The coaching staff, always impressed with Sommerville's dedication to her sport and academics, has enjoyed seeing Sommerville dive in to all that she does - both in and out of the classroom.

"Alice is not only of our best swimmers but one of our best students in terms of grade point average while having the challenge of being an engineering major," head coach Wally Morton said. "The opportunity to travel to Belize with selected engineering students and give a helping hand to those in tremendous need is another step in the development of the total person, not just the student or the athlete."

"This whole trip was just a great opportunity that the University offered," Sommerville said.

Ironically enough, Sommerville wasn't even supposed to be a Viking. She originally planned on attending the University of New Orleans but the swimming program was dropped after enrollment and budget cuts in the wake of the aftermath caused by Hurricane Katrina. Cleveland State assistant coach Andrew Hancock had been in touch with Sommerville throughout the recruiting process and built a connection with Sommerville that steered her to Cleveland.

She signed to be a Viking and made her first ever visit to the United Stats when she arrived on campus as a freshman.

Sommerville - as well as Morton and the Viking faithful - is glad with the way things worked out.

"This has been a great place for me both academically and athletically," she said. "I've met a lot of friends here and have enjoyed meeting different people. Everything happens for a reason and I'm so glad that things worked out the way they did. Cleveland State was definitely the right place for me to end up."

As a junior this past season, Sommerville won the 50 free (23.12) at the Horizon League Championships after setting a school record with a 22.98 in that event earlier in the season. She took second in the 100 fly (54.78) at the league meet, just .01 behind teammate Alexandra Johansson and placed third in the 100 breast with a school record and NCAA B-Cut time of 1:02.62.

Additionally, she was a member of four relay teams that set school records in 2011-12. Sommerville swam on two relay teams that won titles at the league meet, including the 400 free relay (3:22.32) team that set a school, league and championship record.

"My experience with Alice goes back a few years and what stands out to me is that she is an incredibly hard worker," Delatte said. "The second to last day we were in Belize, our group was supposed to go to dinner but Alice was insistent that we stay and finish painting the bathroom. She really is dedicated to doing things the right way, and it's that same drive that I'm sure makes her a successful swimmer."

"She represents the best of Cleveland State University and the women's swimming and diving team," Morton said.