Junior swimmer set to graduate in spring

By: Juan López

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 - 2:00 AM

Nevada swimmer Jeanette Tour is on pace to graduate after three years at the University of Nevada, Reno. Tour is majoring in neuroscience and will swim in her final home meet Saturday. Photo courtesy of John Byrne/Nevada Media Services

Nevada swimmer Jeanette Tour hates being idle.

At least, that’s the reason she gives as to why she is on track to graduate with a nueroscience degree this semester after just three years at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“I’m a person who loves to be stimulated,” said Tour, who is from Stockholm, Sweden. “I love to always have something to do. My freshman year when I came (to UNR), I took very basic classes and I remember how I had nothing to do. I was always bored because it wasn’t enough. For me, it’s bad to just have four classes and watch TV.”

Tour said since coming to Nevada in 2007, she has taken an average of 18 credits each spring semester. Tour, as well as Nevada’s other seniors, will compete in her final home meet against Pacific at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“Since (swimming and diving season) is done in February, I take a big load in the spring,” said Tour, who is enrolled in 19 credits. “It hasn’t really been that hard for me.”

While Tour, who ranks in the top-10 in five Nevada races, tried to downplay her achievement, her teammate Margaret Doolittle marveled at her feat and was left wondering how Tour manages the load.

“I don’t know how she does it … in three years,” Doolittle, a senior swimmer, said. “It’s going to take me five years (to complete my degree) and she’s doing three in a really hard major. How she’s doing that and swimming, which takes a ton of time, is beyond me. We’re all really proud of her, but it’s sad to see her go.”

Tour said her secret was simple: Before she came to the Wolf Pack, she already had 22 credits under her belt from the schooling she underwent back home in Sweden. And during her time at Nevada, she’s taken what she calls an average load of about 15 to 18 credits each semester.

“I pretty much came over here as a sophomore,” said Tour, who estimated her grade point average to be about 3.8. “Even though I came here as a freshman, I still took classes (for credit) back home in Sweden.”

After graduating in the spring, Tour said she plans to return to Sweden and continue her education there because “back home, we have free education.”

Swimming and diving head coach Mike Richmond said Tour’s presence will be missed when the season culminates, but he understands her drive and motivations.

“To be able to have neuroscience as a major, not only to be able to balance that with a sport, but to be able to do it in three years, that’s unheard of,” he said. “I don’t know anybody I’ve ever come across in my life that’s balanced those things as well as she did. But that’s the thing with Jeanette, she’s just so focused and that transfers over to the pool. Her focus is unparalleled and she has greater things to accomplish in the future.”

Juan López can be reached at jlopez@nevadasagebrush.com.