Cobb Cherokee In The Game High School Sports Magazine

Michael Dugan Marietta High School Marietta, Georgia by Kindred Howard photography by Ryan Gibson

The goal of any serious athlete is to make a huge splash in his or her sport. Marietta High School’s Michael Dugan has done just that - literally! At 6’ and 145 pounds, Dugan is the top-ranked member of the Blue Devils men’s swim team and one of the highest recruited swimmers in the Southeast. A key part of the Marietta swimming program for the past three years, Dugan has impressed coaches, fans, and college recruiters on his way to establishing himself as the Blue Devils anchor and number-one swimmer. Now in his senior year, Dugan already has three All-County seasons under his belt and looks to build on his success this year, adding more victories and honors. Having led the Blue Devils men to an impressive run in 2010-2011, Dugan hopes to boast another standout season this year that will carry Marietta to its most successful season since his arrival.

Dugan’s success is not limited to his victories at Marietta High School. His most jaw-dropping accomplishments have actually come as part of one of Cobb County’s best club teams. For nearly ten years, Michael has honed his skills year-round as part of the prestigious Stingrays swim program. The program features more than five hundred swimmers competing at different levels of competition. Dugan is one of the organization’s premiere athletes, swimming as part the Stingrays’ top one percent.  His elite status within the club means that he races regularly against top competition regionally and across the country, allowing him to gauge how he compares to other top prep swimmers.

Last year at Junior Nationals, Dugan led the Stingrays men to a top-ten finish nationally and his team (men and women) to a sixth-place overall finish. Dugan also paced his club to a second place finish in the Southeast sectionals, adding yet another accomplishment to his ever-more-impressive swimming portfolio.

Dugan’s abilities and dedication to his sport have won him the admiration of his peers and coaches. Ian Goss has coached the Stingrays for nearly 22 years and has personally coached Dugan for the past four. A native of England, Goss grew up swimming competitively in the United Kingdom before moving to the United States to swim for the University of Arkansas. Having competed internationally and at the collegiate level, Goss says there is no doubt that there is something very special about Dugan. “Michael is obviously extremely gifted as a swimmer,” states Goss. “He’s very special for a number of reasons. For starters, his stroke is very smooth. He makes it look effortless, almost like he’s just going for a relaxing swim. Then, when you look at his time and notice how far the rest of the field is falling behind, you begin to realize that this kid is moving at a good clip. He’s just fun to watch.”

Goss is quick to point out that physical skill is only one of the attributes Dugan brings to the water. “Not only does (Michael) have the talent and love for the sport, but he possesses the work ethic as well. Swimming is not a sport that you can only train for in season or just show up and expect to compete. So many factors go into making a good swimmer. Everything connected to your physical health affects your performance. You have to approach it 24/7. Nutrition, conditioning, and rest are every bit as important as your form or stroke. Michael does the stuff it takes to succeed. He watches what he eats to maintain the right diet. He’s sure to recoup his body properly after every meet. He gets the rest he needs. He makes the sacrifices necessary to keep himself in top competitive condition.”

Marietta’s swim coach, Carla Mills, agrees that Dugan’s work ethic and attitude are impressive. “He’s an easy kid to coach. Even though he rarely practices with our team because he is so busy training with coach Goss, he’s still a leader. The other kids on the team see how he competes and excels at our meets. They also note his attitude and his constant striving to get better. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind how serious he takes swimming and how devoted he is to being his best. He’s a kid you can point to as an example to call your other swimmers higher. As a coach, that’s what you want. I love it!”

Dugan’s dedication and work ethic have translated into success both as an individual swimmer and anchoring several relays. Although a force to be reckoned with in numerous events, Dugan’s dominance is most evident in the freestyle. His distances of choice are the 100m and the 200m, but he has established himself as a regular favorite in other distances as well.

Individually, Michael currently holds school records in the 50m (0:22.84), 100m (0:47.54), 200m (1:42.24), and 500m (4:52.09). He’s led his Stingrays freestyle relay team to national top-ten finishes in the 800m and 400m. In a couple of events, Dugan’s finishing times climbed impressively close to those of times posted at recent Olympic trials. Unfortunately, Dugan contracted a respiratory illness late last season. The ailment temporarily hindered him, hampering his performance at last year’s Georgia state meet and causing him to fall short of All-State honors.

While Dugan doesn’t claim to know where his passion for swimming comes from, he attributes his success to his naturally competitive spirit, the encouragement of family and coaches, and the great instruction he’s received under mentors like Goss and Mills. “I’ve loved swimming for as long as I can remember,” says Dugan. “I’ve always wanted to be the fastest in the pool and to clock the best time. That’s why I push myself when it comes to swimming. I just naturally want to improve on what I need to and be the best I can be. Yes, I get a rush out of competing against other swimmers when I win. But, ultimately, I guess I’m competing against myself more than anyone. Whatever my best time is, I always believe I can go a bit faster.”

Dugan is especially grateful for the time he’s spent under Goss. “I’ve been with Coach Goss, off and on, for close to ten years,” he says. “He’s challenged me and definitely taught me to be a better swimmer. Along with my parents who have always supported me and been my biggest fans, I can’t think of anyone I owe more to than Coach Goss.”

Dugan also benefitted from watching and learning from his older brother, Ryan. A former Stingray and Marietta star as well, Ryan Dugan made his own impact on Georgia high school swimming before taking his talents west to swim competitively for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Now clearly a star in his own right, Michael Dugan has more than taken up the family banner and has himself become the object of many college recruiters’ desires. One recruiting site called Dugan “one of the most promising prospects to come out of Georgia at the prep level this year,” and another pointed out that he has the potential to eventually be a “key contributor to any collegiate swim program.”

“I have no doubt that Michael possesses the ability to swim and be successful at the college level,” says Goss. “I’ve worked with a number of collegiate swimmers, and he’s definitely got what it takes to be a great one. He just needs to get bigger and stronger, which he will. That will come with time, physical maturity, and the right training.”

“I definitely look forward to swimming in college,” Dugan says. “I just haven’t made any solid decisions yet as to where I will be in school next year.” As with his older brother, Alabama has expressed interest in offering Dugan a scholarship. The University of Georgia, UNC-Wilmington, East Carolina University, and College of Charleston have also courted Dugan, hoping to attract his talents for next season.

Dugan’s athletic achievements aren’t all that make him an attractive prospect for college recruiters. He’s also a gifted student, carrying well above a 3.0 GPA at MHS. As an international baccalaureate, Dugan is already taking and excelling in college-level courses, acquiring credits that will give him a running start once he arrives on campus next fall. Dugan’s favorite subject is chemistry, sparking his interest in declaring himself a pre-med major once he enrolls at a university.

Discussing his future, Dugan declares, “I’ve given a lot of thought to becoming a doctor. Specifically, I’m interested in going into sports medicine. I love swimming, but I don’t know that competitive racing is where my future lies. After college, I’m thinking that a medical career may be what’s next for me.”

Dugan still has time to make final decisions regarding his major and post-collegiate career choices. For now, the talented student athlete still has a few more races to win. Not surprisingly, Dugan is forecasted to win All-County honors again, with many predicting All-State and possibly national honors as well. Upon completion of this prep season, Dugan will then have a few more months to race for the Stingrays, seeing if he can help them improve upon last year’s accomplishments.

Dugan looks continue his success in 2011-2012, perhaps even besting his own school records and leading his teams to state and national notoriety. Whether in the pool or in the classroom, he’ll no doubt continue to strive to be the best - competing against the clock, opposing swimmers, and himself. ITG