Going for a mid-winter's swim is not usually considered a pleasant experience. Going swimming in Ohio in the middle of the winter would seem almost hellish. But for two swimmers and a diver - sophomore Mika Sumiyoshi, freshman Erica Weitz, and sophomore Beth Wecksell, respectively - the chance to dive in during the cold Ohio winter is a dream come true.
The trio will compete in the NCAA Div. III National Championship meet from March 14 to 16 at Miami University in Oxford, OH.
"It is really special to qualify and I'm really excited about it," Weitz said. "The team is really supportive of everything Mika and I are trying for. It will be fun to get to go with Mika."
The group qualified for Nationals after outstanding performances at the NESCAC Championships at Williams College held on the weekend of Feb. 22. During that meet, the last full-squad meet of the season, the Jumbos finished in sixth place among 11 schools that participated. While Tufts placed in the middle of the pack overall, Sumiyoshi, Weitz and Wecksell were anything but average.
For the second year running, Sumiyoshi qualified to compete in three events at nationals. The events include the 200 yard Individual Medley (IM), the 400 IM, and the 200 backstroke. Sumiyoshi finished second in the 400 IM (4:35.57), third in the 200 IM (2:10.14), and fifth in 200 backstroke (2:09.41) at the NESCACS.
"I was happy that I qualified in three of my events because I hadn't done that before," Sumiyoshi said.
Weitz also qualified in the 400 IM with a time of 4:36.75, putting her in third place right behind Sumiyoshi. Weitz competed and finished eighth in both the 200 butterfly and the 200 IM, with times of 2:13.77 and 2:13.80 respectively.
"It's exciting," she said. "I just wanted to have a good season and swim the best I could. I am really happy with my season."
Despite her eighth-place finishes in the 200 butterfly and the 200 IM, Weitz will be able to compete in both events at Nationals, since an athlete who qualifies in one event can compete in other events of her choice. At the National Championships, Sumiyoshi will compete in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 backstroke while Weitz will get the opportunity to display her skills in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 butterfly.
"Competing in three events is what we did at NESCACS," Weitz said. "[There are] three events on three different days so you are not overwhelmed. It is going to be a high level of competition."
Wecksell, Tufts' lone diving representative in Ohio, qualified for Nationals on the one-meter board prior to the NESCAC meet but still performed well at NESCACs. She managed a fourth-place finish on the one-meter board, racking up 335.15 points, and a seventh-place finish on the 3-meter board, where she accumulated 327.55 points. At the National Championships, Wecksell will compete in both diving events.
Over the next two weeks, Sumiyoshi and Weitz will continue to practice together, while Wecksell practices separately. However, Sumiyoshi and Weitz haven't been lonely in the pool since some of their teammates have been joining them for practice despite being officially done for the season.
"Mika and I have been swimming together and some of the other girls have been joining us at swim practice," Weitz said. "They have been there to support us and keep involved in swimming."
Sumiyoshi also appreciated the support, saying it was "really been helpful because it is hard to have just the two of us swim," and that "with them there it is a lot more fun, knowing that we are not alone."
In addition to being the biggest Div. III college swim meet in the country, the National meet itself will be different because the Jumbos' trio will be there without the rest of their teammates.
"It was really difficult last year not having my team there," Sumiyoshi said. "They contribute so much to my swim. They cheer for me and I swim so much faster but we do kind of go as a NESCAC team. We cheer as the NESCAC team."
