With the Patriot League Championships scheduled for this weekend, the women's swim team has been hard at work preparing for the most important meet of the season.
"When it comes down to it, it's all about this meet," junior captain Meghan Thiel said. "It is a reflection of what you did all season."
Practicing for the season begins as soon as school starts in August. The swimmers challenge themselves each day from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then again from 2:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Each practice is cumulative until January when the girls take their 10-day training trip.
"The training trip is the hardest part of the season," senior captain Michelle Risinger said. "We work six to seven hours daily training. We spend at least three hours in the pool two times a day, and when we're not swimming, we're working on our abs through jumping rope and doing sit-ups."
With all the time spent together as a team, it's no wonder the girls have such a close connection. Even when they're out of the pool, the team members like to spend time together.
"We are always together," Risinger said. "We all get along. There aren't many people that can understand your venting about waking up at 5:30 [in the morning] to go swimming."
The team relationship is made clear when Risinger and Thiel are asked about going to the Patriot League Championships.
"As a senior all I really want is to have a fantastic meet," Risinger said. "It's really about the experience of being there with my team."
The team emphasis on hard work explains its success in and out of the pool. The team has a high collective GPA and has received academic all-American honors for 21 straight semesters.
"Our coach believes in us, and we all believe in each other," Thiel said. "I am a firm believer that potential is limitless, and everyone who puts in work will reap the benefits"
