Monday, November 9, 2009
The Kansas swimming and diving team finished up the fall dual season with a second-straight victory: the latest a 161-76 final against Drury University Saturday.
“I could not be happier with how our team is improving every week,” senior captain Carrah Haley said. “I know from individual experience that it takes time to see rewards from hard work.”
Kansas finished in first place in 10 events total and four Jayhawks won two events each. The victories showed improved balance: both upperclassman and freshman earned recognition.
Senior captain Emily Lanteigne placed first in the 200-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. Junior captain Joy Bunting placed first in the 400-yard IM and the 100-yard breaststroke.
Freshman Rebecca Swank got the top spot in the 1,000-yard and 500-yard freestyle events. Swank said the underclassmen would play a bigger role in the future.
“After the first couple of meets, we weren’t as nervous, especially the freshmen,” Swank said. “Yesterday was a good step for us, it definitely moved us closer to everyone’s expectations”
Illnesses and injuries prevented the whole team from practicing together early in the season. But the team worked past these challenges. This was another key in the Kansas turnaround, Haley said.
“I am so proud of how the team is doing, we get knocked down and we get right back up,” Haley said. “We continue to train hard even with all the sickness and other adversities, with two-a-day practices four or five days a week, we are becoming one tough team.”
Swank agreed. She said a steady week of practice before the dual was a big part of Kansas’ success.
“We had been a lot more consistent in attending practices, a lot of people have been out sick,” Swank said. “We had a good week of training coming in.”
Sophomore Stephanie Payne says team cohesion has helped with having a younger team.
“It’s not hard to find leadership in our team because all of the upperclassman have stepped up and taken their own role in guiding the underclassmen,” Payne said. “I often forget there are 13 newcomers because after spending so much time with the team, we’re more like a family rather than separate classes.”
— Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph
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