Heading into the 2001-2002 season with high expectations, the men's swimming and diving team hoped to make waves in the NESCAC and improve upon last season's fifth-place finish. With this in mind, coach Don Megerle emphasized mental preparation as well as training in the pool. The team bought into Megerle's combination of mental and physical training, a strategy that has paved the way for a nearly perfect 9-1 record and a fourth-place finish in the NESCAC Championships.
Despite facing heavy losses from the previous year's graduating class, Tufts remained positive heading into the season. This was due in part to a strong freshman class and the leadership provided by senior captain Tim Bouley and from Megerle. Sophomores Aeric Solow, Kaili Mauricio, and Tyler Duckworth, and junior Ed Edson were also amongst some top returnees who brought a stabilizing presence to the squad. It was clear from the get go, however, that if the team was to have a successful season, the Jumbos of old and new would have to gel quickly.
Tufts began the season with an explosive start, demolishing weaker teams like Clark and Bridgewater State by margins of at least 75 points on Nov. 17 and 19 respectively. With a string of first-place finishes and total domination in the first two meets of the season, it would seem logical that the team would have been viewed as a budding powerhouse. But this was not the case, since Tufts did not get much respect for these wins. This was in part because their victories came as a result of having much greater depth than their opponents, which meant more swimmers were able to earn points for the Jumbos. It was not until they garnered successive wins, in their third and fourth meets of the season, against NEWMAC power Babson and NESCAC rival Bowdoin respectively, that the Jumbos began earning some recognition.
"The early part of the season was mostly focused on preparation," Megerle said. "Though we had wins, we always had the championships at the back of our minds."
Tufts was able to continue this preparation over the winter break. A major portion of the hiatus was devoted to training at the National Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It was there that the Jumbos were able to truly become a team. For many freshmen, the trip was a great bonding experience as they had a real opportunity to get to know their teammates.
"It was a great team experience," freshman Rich Halpert said. "We really got to bond and got along great with each other."
The season progressed quite well upon the return from the trip. The Jumbos did not lose any steam as they plowed through Wesleyan, Trinity, MIT, and Bates in January. Junior divers David Liebenstein and Connell Cloyd, along with freshman Jonathan Perry contributed significantly in these meets, averaging over 34 points among them per meet. The swimmers were continuing to perform as well, and beginning to mentally prepare for the championships as the season winded down.
"January was definitely a month for preparation for us," Bouley said. "We knew that in time we were to face some good teams. Williams and the championships were approaching, and we had to approach our taper with that in mind."
Megerle had the championships in mind as well. With 30 years under his belt, the veteran coach began a long taper for the team, which would last for over a month. Megerle's taper was abnormal compared to that of other schools, as he already had the team on low training yardage, which continued to lower as the season drew to a close. The swimmers did not question this strategy and swam to a 1-1 record in the final month of the regular season (February), recording their only loss to last year's championship winner Williams.
"Coach's taper does wonders," Halpert said of the training regimen. "It helped me swim so fluidly in the water. He definitely knows what he's doing."
The team's preparation for the year was put to the test as it entered the NESCAC Championships with a 9-1 record and good deal of confidence. The squad's season-long effort proved successful as it emerged from the water with a fourth place overall finish. Three school records were broken as well, by Duckworth in the 200-yard breastroke (2:08.21), Baron in the 200 butterfly (1:55.72) and Halpert in the 200 IM (1:56.23). On top of that, Baron and Duckworth were able to earn provisional qualifications for the NCAA National Championship meet.
"Like I've said before, I am so proud of these kids," Megerle said. "They knew they were ready, and the final result was just a reflection of that."
The Jumbos are eagerly anticipating next season, as they will not undergo as heavy of a loss as this year's group - only five seniors will be departing. The freshman class will provide strength on the team as well, having performed so well this year. With this strong foundation, Tufts is hoping to step everything up a notch next season.
