Comparing this year's squad to the one he joined as a freshman, the senior cocaptain estimates that approximately 70 per cent of the swimmers are "hardcore" whereas when he arrived it was more like 40 per cent.
"The opportunities Harvard offers its students makes is difficult to sustain a major commitment to a sport like swimming for all four years. Some people are willing to make it their sole commitment outside of course work and for others it's just another extracurricular. The choice belongs to the individual and I don't concern myself with judging the approach of my teammates," Hackett says.
For Hackett, swimming has been a year round commitment for 13 years. He's spent the last ten years under Bernal who coached him at Fordham Prep before they both arrived on the Harvard scene in the fall of 1977, and during the off season as a member of Bernal's Gators. Those ten years have been serious. Dead serious.
Circus Clown
In his four years at Harvard, the three time All-American has juggled an average of four hours of workout per day with classes and time logged in the library. This has meant sitting through morning classes after completing a pre dawn workout designed to push his body to the brink of exhaustion. It has also meant readying for midyear examinations when the workouts were getting more rigorous in preparation for the tougher part of the meet schedule.
Those inexpensive team training trips to Puerto Rico and Hawaii begin to seem more costly, if the eight to ten miles logged in the pool are added to the price.
In the summers, Hackett has remained in Cambridge to train with the Gators. Missing are the great resume-padding jobs Harvard students specialize in--world class distance freestylers don't have time.
"I'm looking into banks and investment management firms. Similar to when I selected a college, I want to stay in the Northeast region, Boston or New York would be great," Hackett says. "Ideally I'd like to attend business school within the next few years, but right now I'm after the practical experience."
Racing Stripes
Hackett has a few more appearances in his racing suit scheduled before donning the pinstripe suit of a business man. The team will journey to Dartmouth next week for the Eastern Seaboard Championships. The Crimson appears destined for a third consecutive title. After a three week break in the action, Hackett and other qualifiers will journey south to Austin, Tex. for the NCAAs.
The U.S. Swimming Championships-Short Course are slated for April 8-11 at Blodgett Pool. When he climbs to the block for the final 1650-yd. freestyle on Saturday evening, Hackett, representing the Gators, will making his final appearance as a competitive swimmer.
This will be the final showdown with Brian Goodell, who beat him to the gold in Montreal. Winning this--he won once previously in 1977--title, breaking nine minutes for the 1000 free, and winning at the NCAAs are Hackett's goals for his final season.
Whether he wins or loses that final race he can expect that ovation. Once again he'll be performing for a real audience.
Hang on, folks, it's tournament time for Crimson sports teams.
For openers, the men's swimming squad will be in Hanover Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the Dartmouth-hosted Eastern Seaboard Swimming and Diving Championships. The Crimson is favored to go all the way for the third straight year.
In the first of three sets of EAIAWs, the women's hockey team guns for an Eastern title on Saturday and Sunday, while the women's track team goes for the glory on Friday and Saturday. Monotonously, the women's swimmers will compete in their own EAIAW championships.
The men's fencers are in Philadelphia for something called the IFAs, while the men's track team goes to Princeton for the IC4As. Keep your eye on Adam Dixon in this one.
The men's basketball team is at home for one--Tuesday night vs. Dartmouth--and on the road another two--the season ending contests against Brown and Yale on Thursday and Friday.