Despite losing several good swimmers after the 2003-2004 season, Tufts still surprised many this year, going 5-2 and finishing sixth at the NESCAC Championships. The returning swimmers got a big boost from the freshmen newcomers, who helped the team go undefeated at Hamilton Pool.
"We had an absolutely fabulous year," said coach Nancy Bigelow. "The team was filled with overachievers, and they really came together as the season progressed, which is very important in an individual sport such as swimming. They did an excellent job of gelling as a unit."
But, the season is not over for several swimmers. Freshman Allison Palomaki qualified for the national meet at Hope College in Michigan. Her 100-yard breaststroke time of 1:06.70 at the NESCAC meet was good enough to get the invite. Fellow freshman Bianca Spinosa is still waiting to see if she will get the call for 100-yard butterfly. Her time of 58.15 set a new Tufts record, as did Palomaki's.
These freshmen were rock solid all year, grabbing first and second-place finishes meet after meet. They were the key to several of the Jumbos' victories. In addition to Palomaki and Spinosa, freshmen Tia Bassano and Monika Burns also ranked near the top of their events at every meet.
"I was not surprised by the impact of the freshmen at all," said Bigelow. "I knew that we had a very strong freshman class coming in. We were counting on them to make a good contribution and they came through."
Senior quad-captain Erica Weitz also emphasized the significance of having an exceptional freshman class.
"They really stepped it up this year and swam fast from the beginning of the season," she said. "They should be proud of their performances all year, but especially at NESCACs."
Weitz, along with the other three quad-captains, seniors Suzy Ascoli, Sarah Ferranti and Kate Sweeney, provided leadership throughout the year. Not only did they swim well, they helped the team bond.
"The captains did just a great job," said Bigelow. "Building a team doesn't just happen, it takes a lot of time and work. They also got help along the way from the underclassmen as well, which was important."
Finishing sixth at the championship meet should not be taken lightly, especially since the Jumbos missed out on fourth place by only 8.5 points. Williams, which captured its fifth straight NESCAC Championship, will be a contender at the national meet. NESCACs were particularly strong this year, making it that much tougher for Tufts to place highly.
The team broke six school records at the NESCAC Championships, and three individuals and a relay team made national cut times. In addition to the two school records in Spinosa's and Palomaki's national cut times, Spinosa set another Tufts record in the 50 fly, which she swam in 26.26 to finish second. Also, the 200 medley relay team of Spinosa, Burns, Bassano, and sophomore Chloe Young-Hyman achieved a new Jumbo record in their national B cut time of 1:49.80. Unfortunately, it was not quite enough to get the team to Michigan.
"The NESCAC meet was definitely a big highlight of the season," said Bigelow. "Having three individuals make cuts for the national meet is phenomenal. It was a great team effort."
The championship meet closed the book on the career of 11 senior swimmers, including Weitz.
"I think one of the highlights of the season for the team, especially the seniors, was the last home meet against Bates," she said. "The whole team really came together and swam fast to win the meet. It was just a really great note to go out on."
The NESCAC tournament provided a second memorable experience.
"The final meet was also a wonderful part of the season because everybody swam their best times," said Weitz. "It was just so exciting to get to watch everybody swim that fast after training so hard for an entire season. I am just so proud of how our team competed this year."
With the exception of Palomaki, and possibly Spinosa, the rest of the team can look to next year.
"I think the kids are already looking forward to next season," said Bigelow. "We will get some new faces and it will be another good season."
