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Towson High proud to have its own star in Phelps

By Mike Klingaman | Sun reporter

March 31, 2007

At Towson High, they've raised the question.

Kimmie who?

Towson students figure Kimmie Meissner, a Fallston High student, is a nice little skater and all, but have you seen what swimming's Michael Phelps has been doing in Australia this week?

Five gold medals. Four world records.

In your face, Fallston.

"This gives Towson more 'rep,'" said Eric Pool, a sophomore at the Baltimore County school, whose alumni include Phelps. "We don't brag about Michael, but the fact is that someone really skilled and special went to school here.

"Sure, Fallston has Kimmie Meissner, but we're ahead of them. Michael Phelps has many more gold medals than she does."

Though he graduated from Towson in 2003, the school has embraced Phelps during the 2007 FINA World Championships just as it did in the past two Olympics.

Prior to Thursday night's opening of Bye Bye Birdie, the school's spring musical, director Donald Leifert congratulated the cast, the crew ... and Phelps, halfway around the world, for his fait accompli.

Yesterday, Phelps' blitz of world records was the talk of the lunchroom among teachers who'd known him at Towson.

"What he's doing is utterly amazing," said Randy Dase, who has coached there for three decades. "It's like winning 30 straight state lacrosse championships."

Phelps stories abound.

"I remember once, when Michael was here, he walked down the hall and bumped into my classroom door," Dase said. "I said, 'I thought you were an Olympic swimmer.'"

Phelps' reply?

"I'm not that good on land."

Yvonne Burton remembers exactly where Phelps sat in her 12th-grade English class: second row, third seat from the window.

"That was the desk of that long-legged boy," Burton said. "He was like a big puppy. I should have moved his seat, Michael was so lanky - but I didn't want to single him out."

Phelps rarely requested special treatment, Burton said.

"The only thing he asked for was to drink water in class, for hydration," she said. "Michael just couldn't stay away from water."

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Towson High proud to have its own star in Phelps

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Towson High proud to have its own star in Phelps

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