The season is winding down for the Wildcat swim team as they finish up regular season competition and head into the GLIAC Championships, which will take place Feb. 8 through 11.
Head coach Heidi Voigt said she will be taking 21 athletes to the GLIAC Championships.
The ’Cats ended the regular season with two wins, two losses, one third-place finish and two second-place finishes. The team is currently ranked eighth out of nine in the GLIAC with a score of 179.
Senior Stephanie Rogaczewski said the overall season was not perfect, but the losses were countered by good performances at other meets.
“Our regular season was decent,” Rogaczewski said. “We had a tough loss to Hillsdale, but we did really well at the Calvin Invite and in our two-day duel against Oshkosh,” Rogaczewski said. “I think those two meets were big morale boosters for us at those particular points of the season.”
Voigt said the team made a lot of headway this season and improved with every competition.
“Seems like every meet we have someone getting best times,” Voigt said. “Their technique has really improved as well.”
A few of the Wildcats ended the regular season ranking in the top 10 of the GLIAC’s 2011-12 list of best swimming and diving times.
Junior Gabby Alzaga is ranked sixth in the 100 back (58.41) and fourth in the 200 back (2:06.34). In the 100 breast, junior Olga Budiansky is ranked sixth (1:06.44).
In the 200 breast, Budiansky is ranked fifth (2:22.30), and freshman Deborah Lawrence is ranked fourth (2:21.92). Lawrence is also ranked second in the 200 individual medley (2:08.18).
In the 200 IM, freshman Emily Brennan is ranked seventh (2:11.44). In the 400 IM, Brennan and freshman Madisen Sechena and Jordan Iverson are ranked first (4:32.48), fourth (4:37.79) and 10 (4:41.97) respectively.
Rogaczewski said the team’s strongest asset this season is its depth and the amount of talented athletes on the team helped the ’Cats pull through is tough meets.
“We have a lot of new swimmers and divers which are helping to fill out our roster a bit,” she said.
Rogaczewski said the team has been doing different exercises and drills to prepare for the championships. The Wildcats have been working out not only their bodies, but their minds as well.
“We have been doing less yardage day-by-day to give ourselves more rest,” Rogaczewski said. “We have added mental training and a few extra yoga sessions to try and put ourselves into the right mindset.”
Rogaczewski said the new training ritual and mental preparation are very important if the team wants to reach their goals set for the championships.
“Our goal is to try our best to get as many top eight finishers as we can to help break into the top four overall teams,” she said.
Rogaczewski said the team has a few specific components it needs to perfect before championships.
“We need to work on getting all of our relay exchanges and turns perfected in the next few weeks,” she said. “Our relays have the potential to do some major damage at GLIACs, so every little bit will help.”
Rogaczewski said last year at the GLIAC Championship, the ’Cats tied with Lewis University for seventh place.
“I personally hope to see some of our girls make National cuts,” Rogaczewski said.
Voigt said she has high hopes for the team this year in the championships and thinks the Wildcat’s capacity for working together will help them accomplish their goals.
“Our IM and breast stroke events should be our highest scoring events,” Voigt said. “I also think our ability to support each other and be a team is our strongest asset. Our goal for this meet is to double our points from the 245 we earned last year and get multiple athletes to NCAAs.”
