The women's swimming and diving team on Friday will kick off its season against NESCAC rival Bates at home in Hamilton Pool.
The women are coming off a strong season, having finished fourth in last year's NESCAC Championship meet. The team has remained largely intact, losing only four seniors while adding 17 freshmen to an already-deep squad.
Senior tri-captain Cady Macon and classmate Sarah Sperry both believe that the team will improve on last season's performance.
"I think we have a better attitude and we've trained harder from the get-go," Sperry said.
The team began captains' practices in October before resuming official team practices at the start of November. In addition to in-pool training, the women have been doing dry-land workouts since the beginning of the semester.
"This year we've been training at a higher intensity than we usually do in the beginning," Sperry said.
The Jumbos have been blessed with a strong returning team that has plenty of experienced leaders. The team's title hopes took a serious hit last winter, when every single junior on the squad left to study abroad. Now, those swimmers are back and ready to race.
"The leadership this year is great," Macon said. "The vibe has been incredible."
Joining the veterans are 17 quality first-years who competed on the collegiate level for the first time on Nov. 6 in the Batterman Relays scrimmage against MIT, Roger Williams and Wheaton. The A team put on a strong performance, finishing second in the 500-meter freestyle relay and placing in the top four of every event. Freshmen made an impressive showing in the top relays.
"The freshmen are an awesome addition to the team," Macon said.
This Friday's season opener will pit the women against Bates, last year's seventh-place finisher in the NESCAC Championships. Tufts has bested Bates in each of the last three years and hopes to do so again. Sperry noted that the Bobcats have similar talent to the Jumbos, which she says should make for an exciting meet. Tufts fans can expect a thrilling competition in their home pool.
"Usually the home meets are a lot of fun for us. The energy gets really, really high," Macon said.
The Jumbos are also hoping for a little home-pool advantage. Hamilton Pool's lanes are narrower than most regulation pools, which can give an advantage to Tufts because the team swims in it often.
Tomorrow will not be the team's only competition this weekend. The Jumbos will on Saturday head to Conn. College to face off with the Camels and archrival Middlebury. The Panthers, who finished third at last year's NESCAC Championships, have been vying with the Jumbos for the third-place NESCAC spot in the past few seasons. Securing a win against Middlebury has become a team goal, and Saturday's meet will be an important opportunity to accomplish it.
But the team's goals are not limited to securing wins.
"One of our biggest goals is supporting everybody's swim," Sperry said. "You really want everyone being invested in other people's races."
Macon added that the Jumbos strive to "steal the show," which means having a presence that is impossible for competitors and spectators to ignore. This weekend's home meet will offer an excellent chance for the team to do just that.
"We cheer louder than anything I've ever seen," Macon said. "The girls are really passionate. It's exciting to be a part of."
