University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Sprint Freestyle/Backstroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Butterfly
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Freshmen Spotlight: Leo Goldblatt & Pyper Doo
10/2/2020 9:54:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
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QUICK SPRINTS
Expected Major: SociologyFavorite Music Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen Greatest Fear: Spiders French Toast, Pancakes, or Waffles: Waffles Favorite TV Series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Favorite Race to Swim: 200 Fly Scale of 1-10, how good of a singer are you?: Six Favorite Video Game: Last of Us Favorite Season: Spring Favorite Animal: Cat Game Show You'd be Best at: Survivor Qdoba or Chipotle: Qdoba Favorite Superhero: Harley Quinn Netflix or Hulu: Netflix Ideal Superpower: Read Minds Expected Major: Criminology Favorite Music Artist: Thomas Rhett or Morgan Wallen Favorite Hobby: Thrift Shopping French Toast, Pancakes, or Waffles: Pancakes Favorite Dinkytown Restaurant: Mesa Pizza Favorite TV Series: Criminal Minds Netflix or Hulu: Netflix Favorite Race to Swim: 100 Free Favorite Book: Relentless Spirit If you were an animal, what would you be: Dog/Elephant Favorite Superhero: Ironman or The Hulk Game Show You'd be Best at: American Ninja Warrior Qdoba or Chipotle: Chipotle Favorite Video Game: Super Mario Bros Ideal Superpower: Breathe Underwater |
This week brings Virginia product Leo Goldblatt and Minnesota native Pyper Doo up to bat. Originating from Annandale, Va., Goldblatt leaves Falls Curch H.S. a five-time school record holder and two-time Scholastic All-American. As a butterfly and long-distance freestyle specialist, Goldblatt is raring to help the Maroon & Gold compete at the highest levels.
For Doo, the commute home will be much shorter in her time as a Gopher, as the sprint-freestyle specialist hails from Vadnais Heights, Minn., a short 16-minute drive from the 'U'. With multiple state championships, a 2019 Speedo Sectional Championship and an All-American performance under her belt already, Doo hopes to continue her early success on the collegiate stage.
GopherSports: Why did you choose Minnesota?
Goldblatt: "When I visited for the first time, even though it was halfway across the country, I didn't feel like I was out of place. It felt like home which was very comforting because I didn't know what to expect. I knew nothing about the Midwest after living on the east coast my entire life, but right away the coaches and the other swimmers just felt like people I would instantly get along with. That was a huge factor in my decisions because the swim team is who you spend basically four years of your life with every day. The environment of the city was really attractive too. I have always been attracted to urban areas, so I was looking at colleges that were in big cities and Minneapolis just had the perfect vibe. It felt like a place I could really succeed in."
Doo: "Growing up in Minnesota, I had a lot of swim meets at the 'U', so I've always loved this place and thought it'd be so cool to go here. Then, as I got older and closer to recruitment time, I was still looking at Minnesota. I had a few visits elsewhere before and once I visited Minnesota, it just felt great. The team was awesome and really welcoming, the coaches are great and it's just a great environment to be in."
GS: When did you first start swimming/diving, and how did you get started?
Goldblatt: "I started swimming at the age of four, so it's been a long time. I started at the same time as my two older siblings because I was someone who always wanted to do what my older siblings were doing, so once they started, I tagged along and ended up falling in love with it. Also, it was the only thing I was actually good at when I was younger so that helped. I actually started at a JCC (Jewish Community Center) so like a YMCA, but eventually I joined a club team and I've been swimming competitively since. I was only five when I joined club so it's been like 12-13 years."
Doo: "I started swimming when I was nine. I did swim lessons when I was younger like every kid does, and my instructor was the first to say I should join the swim team. At first, I really had to beg my parents to join because my mom thought I wouldn't like it, but finally she agreed and that's pretty much how it started. I started at the YMCA, and then I moved to my current club."
GS: Who has been your biggest influence/inspiration throughout your career?
Goldblatt: "Definitely my sister; we're best friends. She used to swim at UCLA, but she transferred and she's a senior at UNC right now. Besides the fact that we have very similar personalities and we grew up with each other, she just had to deal with a lot throughout high school. I won't go into any details because they're personal, but watching her persevere through all the struggles she's gone through during high school, and even in college, has inspired me. It's allowed me to realize that, if anything is ruining my season or not allowing me to have a normal college experience like COVID, it will all pass and I can get through it. Watching her go through stuff where it seemed like all the odds were against her but she still ended up being successful has inspired me my whole life. She was really happy for me when she heard I chose Minnesota. I don't think she ever looked at Minnesota just because she doesn't like the cold weather, but she was excited for me. I think she knew I made the right decision because she could just tell how happy I was and how excited I was for my own future."
Doo: "I have two people. When I was younger, I really looked up to Missy Franklin because even though we didn't really swim the same events, she was so dedicated and strong. She didn't want to go pro because she wanted to swim for her college team, and is just a really well rounded and down to earth person which I really thought was great. The other person is my dad. He used to swim too and he's always doing his best to find ways for me to be better whether it be a new protein powder or a new workout. He's just always investing time in trying to make me the best that I can be. I think he and my mom both knew from the start of the recruiting process that I would end up in Minnesota, but they were really happy when I committed because they know it's a great program and that I'll be happy here."
GS: What is your most memorable moment of your swimming career?
Goldblatt: "In Virginia we have neighborhood swim teams that compete over the summer and are completely separate from club swimming. The events are only like 50 meters long, so it's more like a chance for younger kids to get some exposure to swimming and it focuses on team spirit and having fun rather than actual competition. Just being involved with my neighborhood swim team has honestly been my favorite part of swimming over the years because club is so serious all the time and it doesn't have that team spirit. Having been engrossed in club my entire life, being involved in my neighborhood swim team has kind of reminded me why I swim. It's for the team spirit and watching the kids, and even myself, grow as a person and improve athletically. Just being involved in something bigger than myself has definitely been my favorite part of swimming I would say."
Doo: "It was my sophomore year at my Winter Junior Nationals right after high school state where I had just gone under 50 seconds in my 100 free for the first time. My prelim time at Juniors was a 49.99 time and I finished tied for eighth place and a spot in the A final, so I had to do a swim off. I was so incredibly nervous, and my coach and another teammate were just laughing at me the whole time because I was being somewhat ridiculous on how nervous I was. But I swam the better time and got to swim in the A final which was probably one of the greatest experiences I've ever had."
GS: What is something, outside of the water, that you think you are elite at?
Goldblatt: "My family has been fostering cats my entire life. We own five right now, but throughout my 18 years of living, we've been fostering kittens simultaneously as well. So, with all the exposure I've had to cats over my life, I guess you could call me kind of a cat whisperer. I think that's going to be the hardest thing for me leaving Virginia and moving halfway across the country is that I don't get to be with my cats anymore."
Doo: "I think I'm actually really good at thrift shopping. I know it's my hobby, but I can always find the best stuff for really good prices. There's a place I really like to go where you pay by the pound and I always find some really good deals there."
GS: Do you have any pre-meet or pre-race rituals?
Goldblatt: "There's always a couple pump up jams I listen to and some stretching behind the block, but I don't really have anything that I do every time because I feel like every race requires a different strategy. If you're racing a 100 fly, you're just going to all out sprint, so you might hit your body a couple times, jump around, stretch and listen to some fast paced music. With that though, I also swim the mile where that isn't the mindset you want coming in, so I think it just varies with each race."
Doo: "I have my normal pre-race routine where I smack my arms and jump and stuff. I also have a pair of Crocs that I've had since eighth grade that I will only wear on the pool deck. They're a little worn out, but I'm still not planning on getting new ones, so having those has become sort of a ritual for me."
GS: Being a Gopher is about more than just scoring points in the pool. What is a quality you will bring to Minnesota that you think will bolster this Gopher culture?
Goldblatt: "I definitely think leadership. I'm someone who can get along well with people pretty easily and naturally. I want to be a therapist when I'm older, so it kind of makes sense. I think just being able to converse with people, and not only inspire positivity, but help them break out of their shells and get people comfortable with involving themselves within the team is a really important aspect of leadership. If you don't have teammates who're going to rally people, there's just not much spirit to the team. Just my natural ability to get along with people, and also the spirit I already have for being a Gopher, and I'm not even in Minnesota yet. I think once you combine those aspects together, leadership is something I'm going to bring to the team in addition to my athletic ability."
Doo: "I believe I have great leadership, which I think is important as a freshman coming in because some freshmen are a little shy at first and don't really know their place on the team. I think that coming in with the energy and leadership I have will be good for me and serve as a good example for my teammates and the incoming freshman after me."
GS: What is something you are looking forward to in your time as a Gopher?
Goldblatt: "If these were normal times, I would say the Hawaii training trips, but I think just being able to compete as a Gopher and represent the team. For example, in dual meets, even though we're battered and bruised because we're just training through them and not rested at all, I think that's when you really shine. I think when you can still perform when you're super tired and represent your team well during those dual meets, it pays off more in the end when you get to your conference meet. Just being able to show off my ability as a swimmer but then also represent the team well during dual meets and conferences is something I'm really looking forward to."
Doo: "I'm just looking forward to being with the new freshman. We've hung out a few times, and it's just a great group of people. I'm excited for new training and new competition because I know college meets are a whole different realm. I'm super excited to get a lot more specialized training and lift more regularly. I'm just excited for everything."
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