Combining intelligence with physical ability is one of the toughest obtainable combinations in sports. Many athletes have gone by the wayside due to an inability to make smart decisions on the fly.
Those who do possess the brainpower are often overachievers, making the most out of talents that are relatively limited. Those who have considerable physical talent and have the intelligence and desire to maximize it are often the most successful athletes.
That is exactly the blueprint that the Tufts women's swimming and diving team appears to be following as it begins the 1999 season. One of the more successful teams in New England, the Jumbos are comprised of individuals who radiate the character and intelligence needed to bring about such success.
The 3.28 cumulative grade point average was among the Top 15 in Division III in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America rankings. Junior and co-captain Lisa Vernoy was an Academic All-American, and diver Kim Volkman, who has since graduated, won the Tufts University Alumni Association Senior award for her academic and campus achievements.
In the water, Vernoy was named Academic All-New England Small College Athletic Conference. She and the rest of the squad continue a tradition of success for the team.
Another striking aspect of the team is its size - one of the biggest Tufts squads with 49 swimmers and divers. "This is the largest team in years," coach Nancy Bigelow said. "It's nice that so many people want to get involved and that we can give them that opportunity."
Under Bigelow, the program has compiled a dual meet record of 129-32-2 in 17 years. Twelve swimmers or divers have won 41 New England Championships and 32 were named All-Americans. The Jumbos were New England Champions three times between 1985 and 1989, and Bigelow earned New England Coach of the Year honors an equal number of times.
That success was continued to some degree last year when the team was 7-2 and finished seventh at the New England Championships. The shining star for the team in that performance was now-junior Kristin Horton, who set school record times in the 100 and 200 meter breaststrokes, finishing third in each event.
Along with Vernoy, the team's captains will be seniors Monica Kung and Debbie Stein. The trio hopes to provide leadership for the young team.
"We're definitely a young team," Bigelow said. "We had some major losses, especially in the freestyle."
As far as the divers are concerned, Brad Snodgrass will be the coach for his 13th season. The program is one of New England's strongest and deepest.
The team hoped to put that on display in its opening match on Saturday at home against Clark. The Jumbos looked strong on their way to a 155-126 victory.
In the 200/400 meter medley relay, Tufts was dominant, as its three teams took first, second, and fourth. The winning foursome was Ashley Jennings, Horton, Shayna Burke, and Vernoy in a time of 2:00.99. In the 200/400 meter freestyle relay, Tufts was not quite as successful, with team finishes of second, third, and fourth place.
In the 1,000 meter freestyle race, Miranda Eagles earned Tufts a victory in dominating fashion. In a time of 11:29.88, she was afforded the luxury of watching the rest of the field finish racing for nearly 45 seconds. The next closest finisher was fellow Jumbo Emily Gordon, who finished in 12:12.14.
The 200 meter freestyle was somewhat more competitive, but not a photo finish by any means. Vernoy was the victor in a time of 2:20.31, while Tufts also boasted third and fifth place finishes out of six spots.
In the 100 meter backstroke, Tufts swept the first three spots, as Maurisa Riley, the winner, Katie Yaeger, and Jenny Lambert all finished within one second of each other. That put Tufts ahead 58-16 on the afternoon to that point.
The 100 meter breaststroke was another 1-3-5 finish for the Jumbos, with Horton coming away with the individual win.
After earning more points in an uncontested butterfly race, the team watched Clark take first place for the first time that day in the 50 meter freestyle race. Tufts treaded water in the one meter diving competition, finishing second, third, and fourth in the overall scoring.
The team lost a little more ground in the 100 meter freestyles and the 200 meter backstroke races. Clark posted the best and fourth-best times in the former and came in first, third, and fifth in the latter.
It took the 500 meter freestyles to return Tufts to the top in a race, as Vernoy won easily with a time of 5;38.72. But the 100 meter butterfly saw Clark take 16 points in a shut-out.
After Angela Russo of Tufts took the top spot in the three meter diving competition, Horton rallied again, winning the 200/400 meter individual medley.
Although the team's performance was somewhat up and down, the youthful exuberance impressed everyone.
"I was very impressed with the spirit on the deck," Kung said. "Everyone was cheering and it added to the whole success of the meet."
The end result was a victory to start what promises to be another exciting season for the Jumbos. Next up will be a Dec. 1 showdown at Wellesley, followed by a trip to Bowdoin three days later.
From there, the team will try to make its mark come winter.
"In February, when we need to be in top shape, we'll be ready," Bigelow said.
