By Pat Mariboe
Senior Writer
The men’s and women’s swimming teams have been keeping busy in the pool as they gear up for the Centennial Conference Championships in a few weeks’ time. The teams kicked off the month of January with meets against Catholic and Dickinson.
The Shoremen had a tough matchup against Catholic, who remain undefeated with the team’s 165-97 win. Freshman Leo Johnson was the standout performer for the Shoremen, winning the 1,000 and 500-freestyle. On the women’s side, junior Julia Portmann and senior Jenni Clune dominated by winning three events each, yet the team couldn’t keep up with the Cardinals, losing the meet 144-117.
The teams looked to bounce back after the loss when they faced off against Dickinson on Senior Day. One of the seniors and captains who swam in her final home meet, Maija Adourian, talked about her role and the team’s mentality at this point in the season.
“As a captain, it’s all about keeping up the positivity and enthusiasm,” Adourian said. “I’m excited to see what this team can do as the season starts to come to a close.”
The Shorewomen certainly got the message, as they went on to win eight out of 11 events in their 113-92 victory. The Shoremen followed suit, swamping the Red Devils 126-79.
Both teams faced off against Ursinus in their second-to-last meet before the Championships. Sophomore Jake Brown and freshman Brett Edwards both won events for the Shoremen, yet their performances weren’t enough to lead the team to victory, as they fell 115-85. The Shorewomen had a similar tough task against the No. 20 ranked Bears, losing 120-75.
The teams have one more meet against McDaniel before they head off to Lancaster, Pa. for the Championships. They know that quality performances are crucial now more than ever.
“Looking ahead towards Champs, we have been slowly starting to back off on yardage so that we can focus more on performance training and rest,” said Adourian. “The taper process is always a fun one. We have put in the work and I have no doubt in my mind that by Feb. 22, we will be ready to show the Conference what we can do.”