Men's swim team rejuvenated for second half of season

While most Jumbos were returning from vacations with family or relaxing time spent at home on Tuesday, the men's swim team returned from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home of its winter training site. The two-week trip promoted team chemistry and demonstrated the Jumbos' commitment to success in their upcoming meets.

"It was extremely productive trip," senior tri-captain Ed Edson said.

Now, the team will carry on with its normal training routine.

"I'm anxious to get back and start training again," coach Don Megerle said.

The team returns to Tufts with an undefeated 4-0 (1-0 NESCAC) record, but the Jumbos' toughest opponents are yet to come. Tomorrow, the team is scheduled to take on NESCAC rival Wesleyan, one of four remaining NESCAC opponents Tufts will face before the championships February 28-March 2 at Williams .

On Tuesday, the team will travel to Cambridge to take on MIT, an out of conference powerhouse. According to Megerle, MIT has the strongest team in school history this season. It would take a tremendous effort from the Jumbos to win the dual-meet. In any case, the match should be a good primer for the team's remaining meets, in which it will face three NESCAC foes-Trinity, Bates, and Williams- along with non-league Brandeis.

The squad is still optimistic, and sees itself as tied for fourth in the NESCAC right now. Since the team doesn't compete against each NESCAC opponent in a duel-meet, the standings are mere speculation. The NESCAC Championships will be the final indicator of the team's position in the conference.

"I have a lot of confidence in the team right now," junior Kaili Mauricio said.

Last year, the Jumbos finished with a 9-1 record overall in dual-meets, and finished fourth in the NESCAC Championships.

"We're looking to move up in our conference and send more swimmers to nationals this year," Edson said.

Last year, Tyler Duckworth, now a junior, was Tufts' lone representative at nationals.

"I look forward to seeing the team meet its potential," Mauricio said.

The toughest teams in the NESCAC this season appear to be Amherst and Williams.

"Those teams have the best swimming I've ever seen in the history of NESCAC," Megerle said.

Hamilton and Middlebury will also be formidable foes come championship weekend. One meet that should definitely be circled on the team's schedule is the February eighth bout with Williams. The results of the meet will gauge the squad's chances at becoming a top NESCAC team.

The training done in Florida over vacation should help the team get ahead of its competition, as it built confidence and strong team chemistry.

"We really stepped things up at training and formed a better team dynamic," Mauricio said. "It was just as much a team building exercise as it was to get in shape."

Refreshed, fully healthy, well-trained, and tan, the men's swim team appears to be in top form. One swimmer described this year's group as the best squad Tufts has seen in 6-8 years, and added that the team is on the brink of breaking into the NESCAC elite.

"Our prospects are good," Coach Megerle said.