The women’s and men’s swimming and diving teams competed at Grinnell on Jan. 19 and 20, and the two teams saw improved times and swimmers in the finals.
This was the team’s first swim meet after returning from winter break. It was initially scheduled for Jan. 13 but was canceled due to the weather.
“I definitely thought the farther we got into competition, the better we did, whether that was the nerves or kind of our bodies getting used to it again or what, but it was a prelims/ finals meet, so it was four sessions total,” Adam Cvetich, head coach of the swimming and diving team, said.
Christopher Olds and Jay Ceperley led the men’s swimming team on Saturday, Jan. 20. Olds set a career-best in the 100-yard breaststroke, swimming a time of 1:13.94 in the final. Ceperley set a season-best in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.58 in the final. Ceperley has only swam the 100-yard butterfly once, dating back to the first semester, when he hadn’t trained for it.
“The Grinnell meet is a great facility, and there were some really fast teams there, so that definitely got me up for some of it,” Ceperley said.
Ceperley is aiming to break the school record in the 200-yard butterfly, which he hopes to break at the conference meet. Ceperly commented that seeing his teammates’ success also helps him want to do well.
“It’s crazy that I saw some of our best swimming in the final session on Saturday because usually, by the time you hit that point, you’re broken down, you’re tired. You know? Your skin’s dried out. You don’t even want to get back in the pool,” Cvetich said. “So, lots of positive things and especially knowing that it was our first competition back.”
Kate Minette and Keelin Curley led the women’s swimming team on Friday. Minette won the C-Final with a time of 1:10.33 in the 100-yard individual medley. Curley led the team in the 100-yard freestyle. Swimming the two fastest times for the Storm on Friday, Curley swam 57.60 in the prelims and 58.38 in the final.
Curley, who took last year off due to a back injury, is trying to get back into the swing of things this season. Curley set some personal records during the team’s last meet in December. She stated she was very impressed with herself and was trying to keep that momentum heading into the Grinnell meet.
“I like to just go out and swim, and if I succeed, I succeed, and that’s always a good thing. I like trying to get some of my other teammates to be energized and everything,” Curley said. “So, my goal wasn’t necessarily to set out with faster times but to prove to myself that I’m not as far behind as I think.”
Curley likes to go with the flow and see how things roll going into each meet, which she tries to go into with a positive attitude. “That’s not always what happens, but I usually end up surprising myself, ” Curley said.
The swim team will return to the pool again with Coe on Feb. 10.
