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Kyle Means
Daily Egyptian

In the wake of a memorable weekend in the land of 1,000 lakes, Marcelo Possato stands at a crossroads.

The senior gave an admirable swim at the University of Minnesota, finishing 21st in the 200-yard backstroke and 27th in the 100-yard backstroke, but could not make the mark he wanted at the NCAA Championships. Although Possato improved his overall ranking in both events, he could not crack the top 16, which would have placed him in the finals.

But just being there, among many of the great aquatic athletes of today, warranted Possato an unshakable place within the hearts of his teammates, a few of whom went on a 13-hour trip to be with Possato and SIU head coach Rick Walker at the first NCAA championship meet in 15 years in which any Saluki swimmer has competed.

"I really appreciate them cheering for me," Possato said. "I was thrilled just to see them and how they sacrificed practice and school just to see their teammate swim. It was really nice."

Upon arriving they gave the support needed for a guy entering a strange arena, one much larger than any other in which he has performed.

"He handled it like he had been there before," Walker said. "It's unfortunate that it's his senior year because if he were to go back, it would be a different story."

As far as the competition goes, Possato was game.

He felt comfortable in the spotlight and showed it in results that were comparable to his conference marks (49.00 seconds and 1:45.30), which crushed the Missouri Valley Conference but sort of paled in comparison to swimmers like Northwestern's Matt Grevers, who won the 100 backstroke (45.62) and Florida's Ryan Lochte, who broke the NCAA meet record in winning the 200 backstroke (1:38.37).

"It's probably the fastest meet I've ever swam in," Possato said. "It was amazing for me. I actually swam in the same heat as the world champion. Now I'm going to be swimming with them all the time, so it was a really good start for me."

After his NCAA performance, Possato ranks 21st in the 200 backstroke and 27th in the 100 backstroke, which is an informal way of saying he ranks 21st and 27th in the world in those respective events. Something was clearly missing, though; that is why Possato says he is only "90 percent satisfied" regarding his performance.

The NCAA experience was more than enough motivation to spur the Brazilian on to the international ranks, which is all that is left for him now that his college career has ended.

The Rio de Janeiro native eyes a spot on both Brazil's national and Olympic swim teams; it is a persistent dream of his to represent his nation on the brightest of stages.

"I think I have a pretty good chance to make it," Possato said. "Everything is possible if you really want to do it. If I were to make the national team and go to the world championships, it would be one of the happiest days of my life."

And now we come to the crossroads. From now on, Possato will juggle the responsibilities of his swimming talent with his ambitions in financing - as a major in finance, Possato wishes to have a future as an administrator in the field. Add on to that a continued connection to the SIU swim program and the obligations that entails, and you have much to think about in the near future.

"He's got high goals," Walker said. "The NCAAs used to be a high goal for him and he's achieved it, so now he's on to bigger and better things. We will continue to support him in his efforts, and it will be good to have him around. His athletic endeavors will continue to be funneled through this program."

Possato has no plans to sever ties with the school in which he matured as a person and as a swimmer. The bonds Possato has made run deeper than those with Walker. They extend to his teammates, especially freshman and Brazilian native Antonio Santoro. Santoro may soon mimic much of what Possato has accomplished from mastery of the English language to mastery of pools from Carbondale to Rio.

"I'm happy because he deserved it," Santoro said. "He worked so hard to get to the NCAAs. He's really an inspiration."

Santoro, who won the 200-yard butterfly at February's MVC Invitational, said he thinks he is close to a spot in the NCAAs and has plenty of confidence that he will do it before his run at SIU ends.

Clearly, in Walker's opinion, Possato's Saluki legacy lies in what he has instilled in his teammates and training partners such as Santoro. A door that was shut for 15 years was busted open, and in Possato's wake stands quite a few who are in no hurry to reapply it to the hinges.

"I swam with him every day, and we trained side by side," Santoro said. "Now I think that if he made it, then maybe I can make it. It makes you believe more in what you are doing."