Early January marked some of the coldest weather and heaviest flooding that southern California has seen in years.
In the middle of it all was UR men?s swim team. The Yellow-jackets spent over a week of rigorous training in Pasadena in order to prepare for the University Athletic Association tournament and the end of the season.
Despite the weather, more typical of Rochester than Pasadena, the team had a good training experience at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center.
The facility was the same one in which US Olympic swimmers practiced before heading to Sydney this summer.
At home
The week of training paid off as the men are doing some of their best swimming of the season.
The team returned from the trip to defeat the Potsdam Bears Saturday at the Spiegal Aquatic center for their third win in a row.
Mike Reinheardt normally of butterfly fame, changed things up with a victory in the 100 Backstroke. Dan Knight won the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle and Mark Radloff won the 100-meter breast and 200-meter freestyle.
?We see a lot of good things happening in the pool since our trip to Pasadena,? said assistant coach Mike Humphries.
The Yellowjackets are going to need the ?good things? as they travel to Ithaca University this Saturday. They will face the bombers who defeated the men last year.
?It?s going to be a good meet for us,? said Humphries, ?This will be a test for us, we?ve been swimming very well, and we have to continue that to beat Ithaca.?
A change for the better
It?s been a big turn around since that last few years for the men.
With four wins this season, UR has shown greater success than the past three years combined.
Sophomore backstroker Jon Ferland credits the new team?s record to an ?increase in intensity in practice.?
Junior Ryan St. John, an avid fan of men?s swimming, said, ?The team is much more exciting to watch, especially with the addition of the new freshmen. The meets are much more exciting.?
The men hope to carry this new energy into Ithaca and then to Emory University in two weeks, where they will compete in the UAA tournament.
At the tournament, the men have a very good chance of winning the 200-meter freestyle relay and then competing in nationals. If this happens, this will be the first time the men have sent anyone to nationals in over five years.
