As the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships came and went, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams look on with a subtle confidence.
‘I am very pleased with our work ethic, with our approach and our competitive nature,” head coach Peter Thompson said. ‘We had close to 200 lifetime best times, we broke two school records, so it was a very good year.”
For the women, freshmen Stephanie Bolin, Corinne Lampe and Sara Spielman stood out of the crowd and only look to get better as they get more reps.
As for the team as a whole, the season started with a bang as they quickly won the Liberty League Championships. They couldn’t keep up their momentum as they lost a couple key dual meets and finished the season in fifth place in the University Athletic Association Championships.
The men, on the other hand, had a discouraging seventh-place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships to end to the season, but showed surprising promise as a young team. However, surprising might not be the best word with junior phenom Kevin
Howard leading the team in and out of the pool. Howard dominated the 100-yard backstroke division this season
Freshmen Adam Bossert, Elliot Lasher, Ian Kruper and Christian Vu flourished under the upperclassmen leadership.
‘This season was very successful for us as a team,” Bossert said. ‘Personally I had several best times and am really pumped for next season.”
With a full year under their belt, the freshman can return next year without all the thoughts of the unknown. They can do what they came here to do study and swim.
The feeling of been there, done that will be crucial for the men and women as they look forward to what they will bring next season.
Manrique is a member of the class of 2012.
