The weather is finally beginning to feel like autumn. Leaves are falling, coats
are being worn and pumpkin spice lattes are appearing everywhere.
Most people prefer to stay dry during the colder weather, but the swim team at Asbury University virtually lives in the water during these cold months.
The team’s season is now underway. While most of the athletic teams at Asbury University compete in the River State Conference, the swim team competes in the Appalachian Athletic Conference and faces teams such as Union College, Milligan College and St. Andrew’s University.
The men’s team has their eyes on winning the AAC Championship this season, but achieving that will be no small feat. Union College is the defending champion and also placed sixth at the national meet.
“They have a good team,” said head coach Alex Keyser. “Everyone will have to perform at their best level to win.”
The team is also focused on getting as many individuals to the national NAIA swim meet as possible.
“This is a very talented group,” Keyser said. “They are training at a high level and we should have a large group qualify.”
In most sports, teams qualify for nationals by winning a tournament or must place a certain number, therefore limiting the number of individuals or teams that qualify. In swimming, however, a team could have one person qualify or have 20 people qualify.
The NAIA sets a certain time for each event that a swimmer must beat to qualify. If a swimmer beats that time at any point in the season, then that individual automatically qualifies.
Last season, the Eagles had five individuals score at the national meet (Alex Wu, Clay Bisher, Ronan Passman, Keith Jessee and Caleb Reams) and placed eighth as a team.
Four of the five scorers return to the team this year: Wu, Bisher, Reams and Passman. With a large group of underclassmen, Coach Keyser will look to his three seniors — Bisher, Steve Garrett and Brandon Snell — to help the team achieve the ambitious goals they have set.
“This group is really dedicated to leaving the team better than they found it,” Keyser said. “The trio brings great energy, and keep everyone focused on training hard.”
“The workouts are definitely tough,” Snell said. “As a senior I am trying to be that steady presence to help everyone succeed.”
So far this season, the team has reaped the benefits of the hard training and started the season 3-0 with victories against Lindsey Wilson, West Virginia Tech and Bethel.
“We’ve build up more momentum than I have seen in my three years here,” Bisher said. “This is just the beginning of what could be our best season in years.”