June 19, 2008
WEST POINT, N.Y. - When Army's Stewart Glenister returns to West Point next fall for his sophomore year, he will assuredly have some interesting stories to tell about his summer vacation. A member of the Army swimming & diving team, Glenister will represent American Samoa at the Olympic Games in Beijing this August, while Black Knight head coach Mickey Wender will serve as the team's head coach.
"This opportunity is truly an honor for me and my family," said Glenister. "I hope to represent everyone that has helped put me in this position with pride and honor and I will cherish this opportunity forever."
Glenister and Wender will depart for China on Aug. 3, and participate in the opening ceremonies on Aug. 8. Glenister is then scheduled to swim in the 50 freestyle on Aug. 14.
"It is the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the Olympic Games," said Wender. "It is the ultimate in my sport and I am honored to represent West Point, the Army and American Samoa at the pinnacle of swimming competition."
Glenister's family has long been tied to the small island nation located in the heart of the South Pacific. His maternal grandfather, Peter T. Coleman, was appointed the first native-born governor of American Samoa by President Dwight Eisenhower, and later became the first popularly elected governor in 1978. Glenister's father, Roland, was born and raised in American Samoa and retired with the rank of Command Sergeant Major after 23 years of service in the U.S. Army.
Glenister, who was born in Fort Knox, Ky., and raised in Temple, Texas, was originally offered a spot on the American Samoan team that competed at the World Championships last summer in Melbourne, Australia. However, he fractured his left femur in a pick-up football game during spring break of his senior year of high school and had to have a titanium rod and two screws permanently inserted into his leg.
One of the Black Knights' top young swimmers in several events, he registered the team's third-fastest times in the 100 (53.02) and 200 (1:57.84) butterfly events during the season, while also ranking seventh in the 100 backstroke (57.32) and 100 freestyle (48.81) during his freshman campaign.
Wender completed his second season at the helm of the Army swimming program this past winter. With over 16 years of head coaching experience, including eight seasons at Pac-10 power Washington prior to coming to West Point, Wender's background also includes international competition. He was an assistant coach for the USA National Team that competed in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1997 and also took a contingent of swimmers during his time at Washington to an international meet in Croatia in 2005.
