Cameron Taddonio
By Sharon Robb
BOCA RATON---After his college visit to Florida State, Cameron Taddonio of Boca Raton Swim Team knew he didn't need to make any more college visits or waste other college recruiters' time. His mind was made up.
Taddonio, 17, who will be a senior this fall at Boca Raton High School, committed early to Florida State, one of the nation's most improved Division I swimming programs under the guidance of head coach Neal Studd.
"I felt like when I went up there that was the place I wanted to be," Taddonio said. "I really liked it up. I loved the coaches and the campus. I just got to the point where I realized there was no point in waiting or going on any more college visits. It's going to be great."
Taddonio is one of BRST's great comeback stories. At the beginning of last summer, Taddonio had a momentary lapse of sanity when "I was screwing around on the gymnastics rings" and broke both wrists. Before the accident, Taddonio was in the best shape and looking forward to his junior high school season.
Taddonio was nearly three months out of the pool rehabbing. "It took me a while to get back," he said. "The first few weeks I was distraught and not myself, I was out of it."
The biggest motivator was when a friend told Taddonio a few of his teammates didn't think he would come back.
"After I heard that, I knew I was coming back," Taddonio said. "It was a motivator. I feel much better in the water and I'm much smarter out of the water. No more gymnastics."
The 6-foot Taddonio will swim primarity distance events for the Seminoles after talking to their distance coach.
"It's going to be exciting to see what happens with the team," Taddonio said. "It's inspiring to think about the team with Neal coaching, where it's going and what happens when I get up there."
Taddonio is currently focused on the championship season for the next five weeks including his debut at the USA Swmming National Futures Championship. Taddonio earned qualifying cuts in the 1,650-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard individual medley. Taddonio is also the first male BRST swimmer to win a FGC Senior Championship title for the fourth-year club.
"I am excited after futures and also training for the high school season," Taddonio said. "It's going to be so much fun this year since I will be a senior. It's nice to already know where I am going to college. The pressure is off."
Taddonio started swimming at age 9 with the Boca Mantas in the South Florida Recreational Swim League. As a seventh grader at Boca Raton Middle School, Taddonio once said "I don't like to lose, so that makes it kind of competitive for me. I like swimming because it's fun. I just like to swim."
Eight years later, Taddonio is even more competitive.
"I dont go like going slowly," Taddonio said. "I always wanted to go faster ever since I started swimming."
Taddonio will join South Florida swimmers junior Alex Cronin of Jupiter, sophomore Julio Horrego of Hialeah, sophomore Adrian Moya of Doral and senior William Pisani, last year's men's team MVP, at Florida State.
Studd is a former coach at Florida Gulf Coast and his alma mater Florida Atlantic University. Studd is a six-time Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Coach of the Year. Studd has coached swimmers at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and World Championships. He became the eighth head coach at FSU on July 20, 2016.
For the second consecutive year last season, FSU finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships behind N.C. State, Louisville, Virginia and Notre Dame.
Last season the No. 21-ranked Seminoles sent four swimmers, four relays and one diver to the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
BOCA RATON---After his college visit to Florida State, Cameron Taddonio of Boca Raton Swim Team knew he didn't need to make any more college visits or waste other college recruiters' time. His mind was made up.
Taddonio, 17, who will be a senior this fall at Boca Raton High School, committed early to Florida State, one of the nation's most improved Division I swimming programs under the guidance of head coach Neal Studd.
"I felt like when I went up there that was the place I wanted to be," Taddonio said. "I really liked it up. I loved the coaches and the campus. I just got to the point where I realized there was no point in waiting or going on any more college visits. It's going to be great."
Taddonio is one of BRST's great comeback stories. At the beginning of last summer, Taddonio had a momentary lapse of sanity when "I was screwing around on the gymnastics rings" and broke both wrists. Before the accident, Taddonio was in the best shape and looking forward to his junior high school season.
Taddonio was nearly three months out of the pool rehabbing. "It took me a while to get back," he said. "The first few weeks I was distraught and not myself, I was out of it."
The biggest motivator was when a friend told Taddonio a few of his teammates didn't think he would come back.
"After I heard that, I knew I was coming back," Taddonio said. "It was a motivator. I feel much better in the water and I'm much smarter out of the water. No more gymnastics."
The 6-foot Taddonio will swim primarity distance events for the Seminoles after talking to their distance coach.
"It's going to be exciting to see what happens with the team," Taddonio said. "It's inspiring to think about the team with Neal coaching, where it's going and what happens when I get up there."
Taddonio is currently focused on the championship season for the next five weeks including his debut at the USA Swmming National Futures Championship. Taddonio earned qualifying cuts in the 1,650-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard individual medley. Taddonio is also the first male BRST swimmer to win a FGC Senior Championship title for the fourth-year club.
"I am excited after futures and also training for the high school season," Taddonio said. "It's going to be so much fun this year since I will be a senior. It's nice to already know where I am going to college. The pressure is off."
Taddonio started swimming at age 9 with the Boca Mantas in the South Florida Recreational Swim League. As a seventh grader at Boca Raton Middle School, Taddonio once said "I don't like to lose, so that makes it kind of competitive for me. I like swimming because it's fun. I just like to swim."
Eight years later, Taddonio is even more competitive.
"I dont go like going slowly," Taddonio said. "I always wanted to go faster ever since I started swimming."
Taddonio will join South Florida swimmers junior Alex Cronin of Jupiter, sophomore Julio Horrego of Hialeah, sophomore Adrian Moya of Doral and senior William Pisani, last year's men's team MVP, at Florida State.
Studd is a former coach at Florida Gulf Coast and his alma mater Florida Atlantic University. Studd is a six-time Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Coach of the Year. Studd has coached swimmers at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and World Championships. He became the eighth head coach at FSU on July 20, 2016.
For the second consecutive year last season, FSU finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships behind N.C. State, Louisville, Virginia and Notre Dame.
Last season the No. 21-ranked Seminoles sent four swimmers, four relays and one diver to the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
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