This past weekend, Lawrence University’s swimming and diving team had their first meet of the season. They competed in the All Wisconsin Showcase with all of the squad, giving the freshmen of the team a taste for the colligate competition. The All Wisconsin Showcase brought teams from all across Wisconsin, including a couple of Division 1 schools to really amp up the competition.
For the Preseason Coach’s Poll, Lawrence’s men’s team is ranked fourth and the women’s team is ranked third, and from their results at the meet this past weekend, it is not difficult to understand why they are ranked so highly. On the women’s side, Lawrence placed sixth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:57.97. This relay team consisted of sophomore Erin Lengel, senior Emmi Zheng, senior Sarah Schweickart and senior Lizzy Garcia. The women’s team also placed sixth in the 400-freestyle relay at a time of 3:51.15. The relay team consisted of Lengel, Garcia, junior Bridget Duero and sophomore Mandy Marsh. Individually the women did really well over all, with a notable performance from junior Elise Riggle, who placed eighth in the 400-individual medley with a time of 5:05.05. On the men’s side, Lawrence placed sixth in the 200-medley relay, coming in at a time of 1:43.90. This relay team was made up by senior Max Stahl, junior Tom Goldberg, junior Liam Wulfman and sophomore Anton Hutchinson. Stahl, Hutchinson, Goldberg and freshman Nuwa Seronjogi placed seventh in the 400-freestyle relay with a time of 3:28.86. Individually, Hutchinson led the men by placing 12th in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:03.56.
“For this meet, the goals were really to get some times before we start having dual meets against in-conference teams,” said Stahl. “Also, to try out some relays.” But just because some were focused on getting their times as a benchmark for the season, that does not mean that those were the only things that were focused on.
“This early in the season, it’s just exciting to be back in the water and to see everyone competing again,” Zheng stated. “We swam really well for our first meet, but more than that, our goal was to support all teammates in their events and open the season with a positive attitude.” With a new group of freshmen joining the ranks, and after saying farewell to a large group of talented seniors, it is important to incorporate everyone into the mix and make sure they are doing well.
“It has been fun so far to see how well our freshmen are fitting in to the team,” Head Coach of Lawrence University’s swimming and diving team Andrew Fleek said. “They all have great attitudes and have been training hard so far. I’m excited to see how they all progress.”
With the team’s confidence boosted from the All Wisconsin Showcase, they are able to work hard in practice and can continue to work hard towards achieving their goals. Their next meet will be on Saturday, October 27, at 1:00 p.m., against Ripon at home.
