Name: Anika Apostalon
Sport: Women's Swimming & Diving
Year: Junior
Major: Psychology
Sarah Bergstrom (SB): What made you decide to transfer to USC last year?
Anika Apostalon (AA): I actually initially looked here when I was in high school but I played water polo and swam and I really wanted to see what the dual sport life would be like so I went to San Diego State. I did that, but felt like I had a chance to improve in ways that I couldn't find at SDSU, so here I am.
SB: What was it like managing two sports at once in addition to school?
AA: It's definitely physically manageable, it's just you need to balance not only the two sports but also the two coaches and the schedule demands. Scheduling can be a little bit more of an issue but it works out.
SB: What were some of the opportunities at USC that you were excited about having?
AA: First I just want to say that I absolutely love the girls at SDSU and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. Coming to USC I was really excited about the academics and I felt like the goals of some of the athletes here were a little more in line with mine. There was an opportunity to have a competitive edge. I'd also heard in my recruiting so much about the Trojan Family and I was excited to be a part of that.
SB: Tell me a little about your major, psychology right? What made you interested in that and what do you think you want to do with that in the future?
AA: Initially I was really interested in learning how technology affects learning behavior and social interaction especially in youth. Right now, while that still really interests me and learning how technology affects us, I really don't know what I want to do with it. I've been looking at sports psychology maybe, but it's pretty wide open.
SB: Transitioning to swimming a little bit, you obviously had a super successful year right away after transferring, winning the program's first-ever Pac-12 team title, winning an NCAA title in the 400y freestyle relay and doing really well at the meet individually, what was that like to succeed here so quickly?
AA: It was awesome. I mean how do I even describe it? The coaching staff and the team itself played a large role in why I was so successful. Just swimming for the team, having coaches who really cared and put in the time and effort, it was great to have that support. I think definitely coming together as a unit is what made it so successful. I know Dave [Salo] would say it too. We had a plan, we set out to do it and accomplished it. It was very gratifying.
SB: You talked about that competitive edge, and one thing I'm always amazed at with USC swimming is that tons of your teammates are not only training for NCAAs but they're training for the Olympics too. What is it like to be surrounded by that mentality and do you have your eyes on Rio too?
AA: I definitely want to see how I do at the Olympic Trials, but I've already set my sights on staying here and training for 2020. The atmosphere is definitely different. Having people who speak so casually about it and just being surrounded by all of this excellence makes you believe that you have what it takes. Which I think really helps incoming freshmen because they're surrounded by this as well and they can aspire to their goals from the start. It's awesome.
SB: Not that you aren't busy enough with school and swimming, what are some things you're interested in outside of that?
AA: Adventures, food is always a big one, just trying all the different things that LA has to offer. I love anything artistic. I grew up with a mom who was an art teacher so I grew up doing water color and other hands-on activities. Music has always been a big thing too. I played piano for 10 years and then picked up guitar two summers ago just to keep myself busy (laughs), as if I'm not busy enough.
SB: You have one more year here as a student. If you had to name one thing that you really wanted to get out of your last year of college, what would that be?
AA: Ah! It's really tricky to narrow down just one.
SB: You can definitely do a Top 3.
AA: Probably No. 1 is just to have a very unified team. To make sure that everyone has a role and that they know that they are a part of what we're striving for whether they make NCAAs or not. Class-wise, I definitely want to make the most of what I have. I can't believe I am almost a senior, it's flown by. And probably three, just figure out what I'm going to do with my life outside of swimming (laughs).
