By Sarah Frohnapfel ’13
The Lafayette swim team is in the midst of preparing for what is the meet of the year: The Patriot League Championships. While every week of the season is important and every meet is stressful, this is what it all comes down to.
“It’s the culmination of the season,” said Dana Purdy ‘13. “Everything we’ve done all season is put to the test. This is the meet that matters.” Lafayette has competed in five meets thus far, as well as an Intrasquad meet and their winter training trip to Florida.
Lafayette is currently ranked 7th out of the 8 Patriot League schools for both the men and women’s teams. Navy is ranked first for men, while Colgate is leading the conference in the women’s division.
There is not only competition between Patriot League teams, but also within Lafayette’s own team. Only a certain number of athletes can qualify for the meet, and it essentially comes down to numbers.
There are no politics, only stats.
Some standout swimmers this season include Cory Schultz ‘12, who took first place in the 100 yard breaststroke on January 18th, a mark that broke the school record. Megan Kaveny ‘15, almost broke the school record in her first place finish in the 50 freestyle at the first meet of the season. The confidence gained from the standout performances should help them gain an edge.
In the two weeks before the final meet, the teams begin a process called “tapering.” This essentially means that while the yardage swam per practice stays about the same, there is less of a focus on speed, and more of a focus on strategy.
Practices include drills that create endurance and muscle memory, yet also allow the swimmers to stay well-rested and not get burnt out. But if you ask any swimmer, there is also a little-known secret weapon.
Shaving. “We don’t shave for about a month or so before Patriots”, said Molly Gondolf ’14. “It creates drag, so we can swim just a little faster when we finally shave. It might just be a mental thing, but either way it helps.”
The main competitors at the meet will be Lehigh, American, and Holy Cross. Lafayette finished just four points behind Lehigh last season in a very disappointing surprise. They are currently ranked ahead of Holy Cross, and are within reach of American.
Patriots will be held at the Naval Academy pool February 15-18.