Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Swimming and Diving Blog - Ben Seketa
12/6/2013 10:10:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Any athlete can tell you that there is one game, match, or meet that sticks out in their mind as their favorite in which they have competed. For swimmers, a favorite meet could consist of setting a new best time, beating a record, defeating a longtime rival, or any combination of these things. A month ago, if you asked the members of our team what their favorite meet has been, you may end up with 20 different answers. However, now the easy answer for all of us is our November quad meet. For the past 10 years, Navy has sat atop the league. Each year we list in our goals at the beginning of the season that we want to close the gap and become more and more competitive with them.
The weeks leading up to the meet saw an unprecedented level of training, fueled by our loss against Pitt. The preseason Patriot League rankings ranked us as fourth, and having already lost one meet, we knew we needed to show the league that we aren't satisfied letting other teams get ahead. With a strong freshman class and the focused work ethic we have had all season, we understood that we were poised to compete with Navy, but it would take strong effort from every single member. Right from the start, the entire team was fired up, and winning the first relay set the tone for the rest of the meet. In every race we had guys stepping up, swimming in-season bests and even a few personal best times. Towards the second half of the meet, it was becoming clear that we could really pull off a win, but the last two races would be crucial. With the 200 Individual Medley and the 200 Freestyle relay left, there were just a few points separating us and Navy. Not wanting to have it come down to the last relay, our IM'ers knew that they could clinch the meet, and in taking first through fourth, did so. The energy inside Kinney natatorium was higher than I have ever seen it, and after completing the last relay, we handed Navy their very first loss in the Patriot League.
One of Coach Shinnerer's favorite points to stress to us is the importance of the “process.” While we were all ecstatic about the win over Navy, he quickly reminded us that our ultimate goals lie ahead in February and that this win was just a piece of the process that would lead us to Patriots. Without downplaying the win, he reminded us all that we need to maintain the level of effort we had been putting into this season, otherwise beating Navy would mean nothing. We took this to heart and continued to roll through our training into the Bison Invitational. Because of the format of the meet, we rested a small amount to try and emulate a championship meet. Resting can affect everyone differently, but we again had many swimmers posting best times and competing well. While Yale ended up ahead at the end, we fought throughout the meet and showed our strengths.
The upcoming month poses many opportunities for the team. As we head to Colgate this weekend, we have another opportunity to compete against Patriot League opponents and continue to improve our times and record. Looking ahead, we have a week of intense training in Florida to look forward to and a flurry of meets in January. The holiday season, though, poses challenges we must meet first. Another anecdote of Coach Shinnerer's is the importance of consistency. Swimming is a sport in which two days off can have severe effects on your performance. With finals looming, one must balance the importance of school and training, and remain on top of both. Once we are at home for the holidays, we also have to remember the importance of consistency. While the appeal of sitting in front of the fireplace and doing nothing is high, we all know that we have a team depending on us. During the first weeks of the season, one of our senior captains asked us all “if everyone else did what I do, would we be a better team?” We've all kept this question in the forefront of our minds and it has helped us all push ourselves and each other each day in the pool. Knowing that every member of the team plays a crucial role is what has made our team so close this year. The sense of camaraderie we all feel helps us jump into a cold pool twice a day when everyone else on campus is asleep and reminds us of why we swim. This team is the closest group I have been a part of at Bucknell and as we continue through the season, our diligence will help us grow and work our way to the top of the league.
Players Mentioned
