Correction: This article incorrectly stated Club Wolverine is the property of the Michigan men's swimming and diving team. It is a separate entity.

Most students think of summer break as a time to let their bodies relax and ease their minds.

But the only mission of the 62 members of Club Wolverine, Michigan's professional and post-graduate swim team, is keeping their minds and bodies focused on their training for this summer's U.S. Olympic trials.

With less then a month of training left before the Olympic trials begin, Alex Vanderkaay, who graduated from Michigan in April, says simply, "It's crunch time."

"The Olympic trials is the main focus right now," he said. "As you get closer, it's really the only thing on your mind, so everything you do during the day is focused around that and making sure you're ready. It's those things you do outside the pool that make the difference from here on out."

Many of the swimmers at Club Wolverine have been training with Michigan coach Bob Bowman since the end of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. After the games, Bowman designed a four-year plan for his swimmers that would allow them to excel during their college seasons and at world championship meets, all while preparing them for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Bowman said despite some minor adjustments for a few individuals, the team has kept on schedule with its training, and the plan is working well.

For a few elite swimmers like Michael Phelps, the Olympic trials are a stepping stone to the Olympics. But for most athletes, the trials will be the most competitive and challenging meet of their lives.

"I'm very happy with the way the training is going," Bowman said. "And while you always have to keep the Olympics in your head, and it's very exciting for a large group of people because the Olympic trials will be a lifetime-highest level for them. We think of it as a peak-performance meet."

Club Wolverine members spent three weeks last month training at high altitude at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. As the Olympic trials get closer, their workouts will be less intense and include shorter distances to make sure their bodies are rested and healthy for competition.

In addition to easier practices, most swimmers agree that the pressure of the Olympic trials is lower as the meet approaches. Two-time Olympic silver medalist Eric Vendt believes that accomplishing the goals he set before training has given him a greater sense of confidence and more motivation to stay focused.

"A year ago it was harder to focus on the end game, but now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm thinking hard about every stroke I take, so I'm much more focused lately," he said.

The Olympic trials will run June 29 through July 7 in Omaha, Neb. After the trials, those who qualify for the U.S. Olympic ream will fly to Palo Alto, Calif. for a pre-Olympic training camp. After that, the team will fly to Japan for more training and then to Beijing for the start of the games.

For now, though, the Club Wolverine members remain centered on their training routine in Ann Arbor.

Each day their excitement may grow, but their mindset stays the same.

"I'm eating, sleeping, living swimming," Vendt said. "The main thing is just to stay focused."