After a long summer with time to reflect and refocus, the swim and dive team has high expectations for the coming year. The team hopes to pick up from where it left off: At the end of last year, the swim team placed first in its conference, and the men?s team finished seventh at nationals while the women?s team finished third. This year, the team expects to equal, or even better, that performance.
?My predictions are that we are planning to repeat as conference champions,? head coach Scott McGihon said. ?The last three years the men have been around seventh and the women have placed around third, but we want to take a big step forward and break into the top four for the men and stay up in the top three on the women?s side. I think we are fully capable of accomplishing this.?
As with all collegiate teams, UCSD student-athletes often leave for the summer and are responsible for their own training. This is especially true in swimming, where it is necessary to keep a base level of fitness year-round. For many, training involved joining summer clubs and going through doubles every day, while others view rest and light training as the best use of the offseason.
?Wherever they are, they need to keep training,? McGihon said. ?We check in with their [summer] coaches, to see if they?ve been doing what we told them to do, but that?s more of a periodic thing.?
The actual regimen followed, however, can vary greatly from athlete to athlete.
?Usually I don?t train very hard during the summer,? returning captain and senior Anju Shimura said. ?Usually I take a break. I came back to San Diego early so I can start training and it really helped a lot.?
Regardless of the amount of summer training, the school year is back in session and the season is about to begin. With a bevy of new athletes and plenty of returning veterans, the team is positive as it prepares for the new season.
?Practices have been going really well,? Shimura said. ?The team is bonding well and everyone is working really hard. We have a big team this year, but we?re having the best time.?
In his final season, Shimura sees the possibility for another successful year for the team.
?My hopes for this season are really high,? Shimura said. ?We have a lot of really fast swimmers and they?re going to push the team to go super fast, so I?m really excited.?
The Tritons will have to deal with the loss of Dan Perdew, one of the greatest swimmers in school history. Perdew won five national championships in his time as a Triton.
While the team may not be in mid-season form yet, it looks to take a strong start off the block and into the water.
?It?s always fun to see everybody again,? McGihon said. ?Everybody is excited since they haven?t seen the entire team in a while. But everyone knows that it?s time for business; everybody is happy to be back, but we all know that we are on a mission.?
In the coming year, keep an eye out for the return of junior standout swimmer Alex Henley, who took first place in the 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard individual medley, as well as placed second in two other events at nationals last year. Henley, whose skill and speed have been a boost for the Tritons in her previous two years, has been elected captain for the upcoming year.
?One thing to note about Alex is her humility,? McGihon said. ?When she wins, she doesn?t need to make a show of it. I think you?ll find that among swimmers. She celebrates after the victory, not before the victory. It?s a good feeling, having her coming back. She gives a boost to other athletes because she helps them elevate their level.?
With a large number of returning swimmers, another terrific year for both the men and women doesn?t seem out of reach. The Tritons will open their season on Saturday with the Blue vs. Gold meet at 11 a.m. at Canyonview Pool.
