Kory Takes Team Trail to Excellence

Three years ago, junior Deborah Kory was a burned-out high school star, ready to give up a successful career in a sport to which she had dedicated 13 years of her life.

But enter a spur-of-the-moment trip to Boston which led directly to a meeting with Harvard women's swimming Coach Maura Costin Scalise, and Harvard has not only one of the top swimmers in the Ivy League and the Northeast, but one who once again is having fun in the pool.

"Coming out of high school, I was not really excited about swimming," Kory said. "I was burned out and thought that I would swim for a year and then give it up, but then I took a trip over here and was influenced by the coach."

Costin Scalise pitched a low-stress, team sensibility to the Palos Verdes, Calif. standout and helped sway her from a probable matriculation at California. Since then, Kory has accumulated a most impressive swimming resume.

Her list of accomplishments in the collegiate pool boasts of being named 1992-93 first-team All-Ivy in the 200-yard individual medley, in the 400-yard IM and in the 400-yard freestyle relay; second-team All-Ivy in the 200-yard breaststroke, the 500-yard freestyle relay, the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard medley relay, and setting two Eastern Championship records last year in the 200 and 400 IM.

She also qualified and competed in the NCAA swimming championships as Harvard's only representative.

"I've changed a lot since my freshman year," Kory said. "I've learned about being part of a team...[in California] I had never experienced the team aspect and I know it sounds corny, but it makes a big difference. Also, my approach is more day-to-day, I concentrate on what is happening now, instead of preparing for the future.

"I was intense and stressed out in high school. Here, I am more relaxed, instead of taking [swim problems] home with me, I leave them at the pool," she added.

Nearly Went to Berkeley

Scalise's recruiting prowess and the Harvard program helped sway the Dudley Co-op resident from attending the Berkeley campus of the California university system. Kory's sister walked the ground where The Nude Guy made headlines, and Kory was "99 percent sure" she would be, too. But swimming there did not seem like too much fun.

"I thought Berkeley would be more of the same," Kory said. For Kory, more of the same would have meant more preparation for unknown events down the road and more competing solely as a individual--things which Kory said have been eliminated since her trek to Massachusetts.

Although Kory professed not to be interested in coming to Harvard her senior year in high school, she had a friend here and decided in February to check the school.

"I said to myself, 'Why not apply and see if I get in?"' Kory said. "So I contacted the coach and she invited me, and I couldn't refuse a free trip to Boston. I left having to make a decision that I didn't think I was going to have to make.

"I decided I wanted to come here. I walked off the plane and said, `Dad, I want to go to Harvard.' The program here was perfect in that if you had the choice whether or not you wanted [swimming] to be your life," she finished.

These Days

From there? Only higher. Kory trained in the off-season with Harvard men's swimming Coach Mike Chasson's club team and with the U.S. swimming delegation to the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

"[Coach Chasson] has a really good program," Kory said. "If you train with him then you are going to be really strong for the upcoming season. I also lifted weights a couple of times a week and did some extra running."

Kory, a captain on this year's team despite still being a junior, hopes her extra muscle and endurance will help her lead and stand out on this year's team--a team which she said will be young but successful, a sentiment echoed by her coach.

"During the tough races, I'd put my money on this team," Costin Scalise said.

As for her individual goals, Kory said that she would like to concentrate on the 200-yard breaststroke in hopes of qualifying again for the NCAA meet.

"Last year, I didn't swim too well at the NCAAs," Kory said. "I ended up being really tired. This year, I feel stronger than I've ever felt and if I keep training well, I fully expect to qualify again."

"She's tough as nails and very dedicated," Costin Scalise said. "She knows how to follow through to reach the goals she's set, no matter how hard they might be. She's really demanding of herself. She doesn't ever settle on her laurels, but she always wants to be better. A good athlete always looks to be better."

Kory and the rest of the women's swim team will open up their 1993-94 season by hosting Brown and Columbia Saturday at 1 p.m. at Blodgett Pool.