by Ty Schadt, Sports Editor
After successful regular seasons, the men’s and women’s swim teams are ready for the conference meet in Kingsport, Tennessee, on Feb. 9-11.
This has been the Eagles first season as part of the Appalachian Athletic Conference, a division consisting solely of NAIA teams. Swimmers are confident as they move into the postseason, and with good reason.
Last year, the women placed third in the Appalachian Swimming Conference and coach Alex Keyser was named ASC Coach of the Year. This season, the women have kept the good vibes rolling despite numerous hurdles. Many swimmers have dealt with injuries and the team lacks a senior presence. Instead, three junior captains have led the women to a respectable 4-3 record. “Watching [underclassmen] mature never gets old to me,” said junior Natasha Oduor-Owino.
Since the women won’t be losing any seniors, it’s reasonable to expect their success to spill over into next season. Keyser expressed excitement with his leaders: “They’ve grown a lot and made the best of their leadership skills given their different personalities. We’re looking good for next season.”
Much like their counterparts, the men are in the midst of an entertaining season. They are currently ranked tenth in the NAIA and boast a 5-2 regular season record. “It’s been the result of the team really coming together this year,” said senior Tommy Otley.
The conference tournament should serve as a great test for the men. “My expectations for the environment is for it to be electric,” said sophomore Keith Jessee. “I’m looking forward to being able to race against some good competition.” Jessee was named NAIA Swimmer of the Month in December, and has been a large part of the team’s success.
Despite the excitement for the conference meet, several swimmers have bigger events to look forward to. “We realize the importance of the conference meet, but with the amount of people we have going to Nationals, this is just another stepping stone to take before the real magic happens,” said sophomore Jonathan Waide.
In collegiate swimming, qualification for nationals doesn’t have to be based on any outcomes from the conference meet. Swimmers can qualify at any point in the season by completing a swim in a specific amount of time. From the men’s team, each class will have at least one representative. Freshman Clay Bisher, sophomores Keith Jessee and Colt Rasmussen, juniors CJ Moritz and Joshua Fritz and senior Tommy Otley will participate come March. For the women, sophomores Claire Goodrum and Lindsey Sauer and juniors Leah Haeuber and Oduor- Owino will represent the Eagles in Columbus, Georgia.
However, the defining moment for the team might have come outside of the pool entirely. In December, the swimmers visited Puerto Rico and conducted community service, held clinics for local swimmers, practiced on their own and relaxed on the beaches. Keyser even baptized freshman Paige Finnigan in the ocean, capping off what was surely an unforgettable week. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to make that commitment than on a beach surrounded by 25 of my closest friends,” said Finnigan. In a sense, the trip is a microcosm of the swim team’s season: it’s been a time of development, maturity, bonding and ultimately— succeeding. “The team came back closer, and I couldn’t think of a better way to end that trip,” said Keyser.
Now, there’s only one thing left for the swimmers to do: own the moment. “The work is done and we are just resting up to see what all those morning practices, weights, cold pools, test sets and training sessions will amount to,” said junior Susanna Hall.