Senior swimmer Casey Hooker (left) talks to freshman Mitch Davis (right)
at the end of an afternoon practice. Hooker is foregoing rest preceding
the NCAC meet in hopes of better times at the national championship.
SAM CARAVANA / THE DEPAUW
As students begin to buckle down with classes back in session, DePauw University’s swim teams are beginning to prepare for the North Coast Athletic Conference meet and the National Championship.
Both men’s and women’s squads have had successful seasons, and hope to keep the ball rolling in the postseason. Currently the women’s squad squares up at 23rd in the nation while the men stand at 21st, according to collegeswimming.com.
Head men’s swimming and diving coach, Adam Cohen, sees little fear in his athletes as important meets loom.
“I think going into nationals we're confident. We’ve got some seasoned swimmers,” Cohen said.
Before the team heads to nationals in Texas, the Tigers first must head to Denison University for the North Coast Athletic Conference meet. Heading into the event, the team will be training in three groups, each with a different level of intensity. Nine of DePauw’s swimmers who made “B” cut times, qualifying for nationals, will make up the first group.
The national qualifiers will dive head first into the conference meet.
“We’re not going to rest those guys for conference, we’re just going to train them,” Cohen said.
This lack of rest will allow the athletes to be at their peak performance level at nationals, but will slow their times in the conference meet.
“Some of our top end relay times might not be as fast as they would be but we’ll still score the points we need and then we’ll have even better relay times at nationals,” junior standout Stephen McMurtry, who is part of the first group, said.
The second group consists of sophomore Brandon Sholtis and first-year Kurt Swieter. Both have made “B” cut times in relays, and will attempt to duplicate those results in individual events by resting three days before the NCAC meet.
The rest of the men’s team will go through a full taper leading up to the conference meet. In the 14 day taper period, the intensity of workouts will be reduced to ensure the swimmers will be well rested going into the competition.
First-year diver, Eric Addy, also has a critical competition in his future. Addy has had a top notch season qualifying for the regional diving championship where he could potentially qualify for nationals and bolster the team’s point total. Cohen has confidence in the rookie.
“Eric is certainly capable of being a national level diver and getting there and getting those points,” Cohen said.
Not to be outdone by their counterparts, the women’s swimming and diving team has been preparing for the NCAC and national meet since the first day by upping the intensity of practices.
“They’re probably 25 percentt more aggressive than what we’ve been doing in the past. Thats really been a big difference,” head women’s swimming and diving coach Ben Hewitt said.
Sophomore Jamie Fritsch echoed her coach. “I think [it’s] the key to how we’ll do in the end,” said Fritsch.
Unlike the men’s team divided training, the women’s team will all taper leading into the NCAC meet, with the exception of Angela Newlon. Newlon has made “B” cuts in multiple events and this week won NCAC female swimmer of the week.
In the 2014 season, the women’s squad finished 15th in the nation, a result they hope to achieve two season in a row.
“Our challenge is to duplicate that as best we can,” Hewitt said.
The NCAC competition takes place on February 11th, less than two weeks away. Despite the impending test that the meet will provide for both teams, Hewitt has his team tuned to his liking.
Said Hewitt: “I think we’re just hitting our stride.”