With the conclusion of the national championships last weekend, the men's swimming and diving season is officially over. But looking back on the year that was, the Jumbos must certainly be satisfied with their accomplishments.
Last season, the Tufts squad finished third at the NESCAC Championships, behind both Amherst and Williams. This year, however, Tufts moved up to second with impressive performances from underclassmen.
"This year, we definitely came to the conference hoping to get back to second," junior Ben Mitchell said. "We all swam great. It was the fastest meet I've ever been to. I think we're all happy and excited with how we swam and looking forward to next year."
"I think that it was amazing for the team, given that it really exemplified our depth," senior tri-captain Jeff Goldberg added. "Middlebury had individual winners across the board, but we came up in second and beat them. It was a total test of our depth and the hard work we've put in all season."
Freshman Chris Vorlicek placed second in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:03.21, a new Tufts record. Sophomore Rob Matera also contributed to Tufts' success, as he finished second in the three-meter dive. On the whole, the underclassmen have contributed a great deal to the team's efforts this year.
"We knew at the beginning of the year that the underclassmen were pretty strong," Mitchell said. "They definitely performed how we expected at the conference meet. They were in the meet not really knowing what to expect, and some were a little nervous, and it showed, but after a few strong swims from our seniors and juniors, they really stepped up. Every swimmer we had in the pool was fun to watch, and it made everyone faster."
"They all work really hard, and they've all improved from the beginning of the year," senior tri-captain Sean Sullivan added. "It's really good to see because next year we'll be really strong. It's exciting because the team's definitely going to be better than we were this year."
Matera was the only member of the squad to earn a trip to the NCAA Championships, as he had been one of the squad's strong points all year. The Trumbull, Conn. native finished 14th in both the 1- and 3-meter dives, garnering him a pair of honorable mention All-American honors.
In another sign of the Jumbos' strength, the team's only losses of the season came at the hands of some of their toughest competition: Williams and MIT. The powerhouse Ephs easily got by the Jumbos 189-111 during a Jan. 19 dual meet before cruising to their sixth-consecutive NESCAC Championship. While Tufts compiled an impressive 1,489.5 points, Williams was unmatched, totaling 1,860.5.
Tufts' match against MIT was much closer, as the team fell by an extremely close margin, 154-144. MIT set Hamilton Pool records at the meet with their times in the 400 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay.
"We expected [MIT and Williams] to be our two toughest competitors," Mitchell said. "We were more disappointed with the MIT loss because we swam well and it was close. We couldn't be that disappointed though, because we like swimming teams that are better than us. We like to challenge ourselves. We were happy with our performance because we could look forward to the NESCACs with confidence."
One of the highlights of the Jumbos's season was undoubtedly their performance against Boston College, a Division I school. In a home meet, Tufts easily handled what was supposed to be superior competition, downing BC 191-152 and taking first, second and third in five events. Freshmen David Meyer and Matt Glenn, along with junior James Longhurst, each took first place in two events. And the Jumbos' victory wouldn't be complete without a top finish from Matera, who took first in both the 1- and 3-meter dives, though the latter was scored as an exhibition.
"We got really excited for that meet," Sullivan said. "We didn't want to lose to them. I think we were nervous, but still pretty confident that we could win. It felt good to beat a Division I [team]."
While they accomplished great things, the Jumbos emphasized the group atmosphere and camaraderie that contributed so heavily to their success.
"Being a part of this group is so much the team experience," Goldberg said. "I'd say all the athletes are the icing on the cake. Obviously finishing second in NESCACs was our goal, but the process of getting there was a highlight in and of itself."
The Jumbos will move on to next season with hopes of becoming the top dog in the NESCAC. Williams will be graduating a number of seniors, while Tufts will be graduating only two of its competitors from the NESCAC meet.
"We're only losing two point-scorers, and we're gaining some recruits that are pretty quick," Mitchell said. "Other teams like Williams lost eight or 10 swimmers, so we'll be strong. We're all still improving so I think our future's bright. I'm looking forward to next year."
