The Collegian

Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Sports

Every Monday, Thursday and Friday afternoon a Cooley Law School student drives the barren highway stretching from downtown Lansing to Hillsdale College.

She doesn't make the trip just for kicks though depending on the practice for the day, assistant swim coach Jodie Primus knows kicks could be a major part of her afternoon.

As a former pupil of Hillsdale's head swim coach Kurt Kirner, Primus, 25, breezed through the hiring process in less than a day.

"She had done some coaching before in a summer league, and I knew she had the tools and interest to do it," Kirner said.

Primus' role on campus goes beyond assisting Kirner with coaching.

"I'm here to help the women be able to balance the stress of school and the stress of athletics," said Primus. "I'm here to give a shoulder and a lending ear."

Having been a standout of Kirner's while he was still coaching at Lawrence University, Primus compliments the coach well in his new position.

"One good thing about coach Primus is she was a swimmer under coach Kirner at Lawrence, so she understands him and they work well together," said swimmer Kathryn Herrmann, a junior.

Kirner said when Primus leads, the team does not miss a step.

"I put together the plan, and she can step right in and implement that," Kirner said. "She has a very good sense of the direction I'm going with the team."

Primus was not just an ordinary Division III swimmer at Lawrence. She was a four-year MVP, two-year captain, two-year most dedicated swimmer award winner and a back-to-back conference champion in the 100-yard breaststroke.

"Wisconsin has no Division II swimming," Kirner said. "She came in as a kid who could swim on one of the University of Wisconsin Division I teams - she was kind of between Division I and Division III."

As a swimmer, Primus grasps what the girls on the Hillsdale team deal with on a day-to-day basis.

"The job has been rewarding since the beginning of the season and hopefully that will continue to increase since the team looks like they're enjoying themselves," Primus said.
Swimmer Meredith Scott, a sophomore, said the team has a beneficial and understanding relationship with Primus.

"She's cool because she's only a little bit older than us. She listens to the same type of music and everything," she said.

Herrmann appreciates Primus' affect on the mood of the team.

"She helps to keep the team positive and the morale up high," she said.
Scott agreed.

"She's always there if you need to talk or if you're upset," she said.

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