The women's swimming team improved its record to 2-0 with a 157-143 victory against Boston area rival, Wellesley, last Wednesday. After beginning its season with a decisive 193-106 win over Clark on Nov. 17, Tufts continued its winning ways beating Wellesley on the road.
"It was an awesome meet," senior tri-captain Miranda Eagles said. "Beating Wellesley is a big deal. For some reason [with Wellesley], it always gets personal behind the blocks. Wellesley is the meet we always get pumped for and I know that Wellesley gets pumped for us."
Although victorious in the end, the Jumbos had to fight for every point. The meet was the first real test for the team this season, and the end result came down to the final few races. The win was satisfying for Tufts swimmers, serving as taste of redemption for the Jumbos who fell to Wellesley 140-160 last season. "The meet was really close," Eagles said. "It was a real challenge. Everyone on the deck was cheering. It was so great to see the team so positive and upbeat."
The win, which came as no surprise to coach Nancy Bigelow, gave the coach an opportunity to see her team swim in a competitive setting. "Everyone swam well," Bigelow said. "I think everyone went into the meet with a relaxed state of mind. Coming back from a break, it is important to remember how to compete. Also, many of the freshmen [to me] were just times on a sheet of paper, so it was good to see them swim for the first time in a collegiate meet."
This season, the Jumbos hope to capitalize on the strength of their returning swimmers, as well as the promise of the incoming freshman. One of the primary goals of this season is to improve upon the team's standings at the NESCAC championships, an event that came into existence last season. Tufts finished seventh out of the eleven competing teams, a place upon which Bigelow thinks the team can improve.
"I think we will be a stronger team come championship time," Bigelow said. "If the returning swimmers compete as well as they did last year and if the freshmen compete as well as they practice, I think we can improve our finish."
To make the necessary adjustments, Tufts will rely on solid performances from sophomore Kierstyn Thayer and juniors Emily Gordon and Maurisa Riley. Also, a key return for the team will be sophomore Mika Sumiyoshi. Sumiyoshi is coming off a standout freshman season for which she earned All-American honors. Promising additions to the team this season include freshmen Erica Weitz, Kate Sweeny, Sarah Ferranti, and Katherine Ferguson.
The Jumbos will also look to their diving team to have another strong year. Returning divers include juniors Lauren Reveley and Angela Russo, as well as sophomore Beth Wecksell, who came in ninth place at the NESCACs last year.
The nine departing seniors from last season left a large gap for the swimmers to fill. The loss of Kristin Horton will be particularly difficult to overcome. She was the team's dominant breaststroker and her career at Tufts included two trips to Nationals, as well school records in the 50, 100, and 200-yard breaststroke.
The three senior captains - Eagles, Vollero, and Sarah Hertzog - have stepped in to fill the void. They say they are focusing their leadership this season on encouraging team unity, a difficult task for such a large team and a challenge the team confronts every season. "We have a large group this year," Bigelow said. "We have to work hard on being a unified team. The swimmer in lane one doesn't see the swimmer in lane six until they are in the locker room.
"It is that time out of the pool that the team needs to bond. It puts everyone on the same page and makes everybody excited to be a part of the team."
The captains are confident in the capability of the group to pull together. "It's awesome to see how fast the team has become cohesive," Vollero said. "It's great to see everyone getting along and supporting each other so early in the season."
Although swimming and diving appear to many as individual sports, Vollero dispels the notion. "Everyone works hard and puts their own time in, but it is inspiring to see the work other people put in," she said. "It makes you work harder because you don't want to disappoint the team."
The Jumbos have many weeks of hard work ahead. Their most difficult competitions are during the latter part of the season, meets against such teams as Bates, MIT, Brandeis, and the always-impressive Williams. "Everyone is working hard," Bigelow said. "We have a long way to go, but we have a lot of time. I'm excited for the season and I'm excited to see how well people are going to do."
