FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – No stranger to international competition, Nova Southeastern men’s swimmer Esau Simpson (So., St. David’s, Grenada) will compete at the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Swimming Championship in St. Lucia Nov. 4-6.

The OECS swim meet will be the 21st rendition of the competition, featuring a total of 130 athletes with teams from Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Grenada and St. Vincent and host country St. Lucia.

Simpson is one of 34 selected to represent Grenada by the Grenada Amateur Swimming Association to defend its title at the OECS Championship. Grenada won the sub-regional championship for the fifth consecutive year when it hosted in St. George’s, Grenada last year. 

“I was selected because I’m one of the fastest male swimmers in Grenada,” said Simpson. “I’ve been to many big international events where I can see where I am and what I need to work on to get to my major goal at the end of the year. Internationally I’m slightly above mediocre and if I improve my all-around speed I’ll be ready.”

Everything Simpson has done this year and will do, is in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. This includes his recent participation in the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico Oct. 14-30. He was one of six competitors selected to represent Grenada in track and field, taekwondo and swimming. At the games Simpson competed in the 100m freestyle, he finished in seventh-place out of eight in his heat and 19th out of 24 overall.

When Simpson takes to the water with his national team this weekend he will do so with teammates that he says are a lot like his teammates at Nova Southeastern.

“I’ve competed with the national team since I was eight-years-old, and the key to our success has been the unity. I remember last year they were playing music during a meet and everyone was dancing and laughing,” said Simpson. “We do the same things here (NSU), I have great teammates at Nova and couldn’t have gotten this far at any other school. We joke around, encourage one another and have comradery like my national team.”

Simpson says head coach Hollie Bonewit-Cron has been crucial in creating the aforementioned atmosphere while keeping the team organized and in line with her master plan for each student-athlete.

“She has been great from the beginning,” said Simpson. “Even though I didn’t swim (for NSU) last year she helped me drop two seconds off my 100-free. She always kept mentioning her master plan of London 2012 and keeps things in check in my mind, and makes sure my head is on straight.”

Bonewit-Cron believes Simpson has improved since coming to NSU because of his work ethic and training regimen.  

“His training has consisted of power and strength development as well as endurance capacity," said Bonewit-Cron. "His commitment to training has allowed him to be at a higher level of competition and I am looking forward to his continued efforts in and out of the pool to make him not only a great collegiate swimmer for us, but also internationally.”

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