Swim triumphs in two-day meet

Photo by Hannah Varnell.

This past weekend, as most of the CC population reluctantly said goodbye to present- and powder-filled vacations, one group of students was already back in full force: the CC swim and dive teams. After an intensive 10-day training trip to San Diego in early January, the teams continued to train vigorously for nearly another month to ensure their season finishes on a high note. They’re also adjusting to a recent hiccup: head coach Anne James tore her ACL and MCL during the training trip in San Diego. James has been in the hospital since the accident, leaving assistant coach Chris Sullivan in charge of the program. The season has continued with as much intensity as before James’ mishap, with CC hosting the 14th Annual CC Classic this past weekend. In Schlessman Natatorium, Colorado College joined Colorado Mesa University, CU Boulder, Metro State, Colorado School of Mines, and the CSU Swim Club for two days of fierce competition and record-breaking performances. The weekend was certainly one worth celebrating with the girls’ and boys’ teams first and second place finishes, respectively.

Upon wandering into the swim meet on Saturday night, I was greeted with the exhilarating roar of cheering. If you’ve never been to a swim meet, your first experience will likely be slightly confusing, disorienting, and wildly over-stimulating. If you hang around for long enough, you’ll notice a captivating order to the madness. I was most struck by the camaraderie evident between the teams as well as the remarkable focus of the competitors. During high stakes events such as Danielle Wahl’s and Jordan DeGayner’s record-breaking finishes in butterfly and freestyle races, swimmers emerged from their headphones and hallway pep talks to crowd the edges of the pool, shouting fervent encouragement and waving their arms to the rhythm of their teammate’s splashes. It was also exciting to witness the recognition of the eight senior CC athletes: DeGayner, Jeff Nadel, Devin Wahl, Ben Wallner, Leore Geller, Carrie Markel, Andrea Tukan, and Malia Vitousek. When the seniors were presented on the starting blocks, their teammates applauded vigorously, a testament to the unique bonding that takes place on athletic teams at CC and to the bizarre reality that another senior class is moving on.

The Lady Tigers were ecstatic about their win, finishing with a sizable lead over Colorado Mesa University. It’s the first time the girls’ team has ever won the CC Classic, and, according to Vitousek, “We weren’t expected to. We did really well considering how much hard training we’ve been doing and how tired we all are.” She also noted what an outstanding job their assistant coach has done taking over the program and said the win was to honor head coach James, who is still recovering in the hospital. Among the meet’s female standouts was freshman Danielle Wahl, who broke a school record on the first day of competition with an impressive 2:15:33 in the 200-yard butterfly. Her time was a full 3.69 seconds faster than the previous record set by Leanna Dalton in ‘06. Other individual first place finishes for the girls included Markel’s 2:01:96 time in the 200 freestyle and sophomore Brenna Day’s first place finish in both the 100- and 50-yard freestyle races. The girls’ relays also had an impressive showing, with Molly Brown, Abby Sawyer, Danielle Wahl, and Day shattering the competition in the medley relay, finishing almost a full 6 seconds before the competition with a season best time of 4:19:61. Holding it down for the divers, junior Nicole Fazio claimed first place when she scored 411.70 points in the 3-meter diving, a full 16.20 points higher then her closest competitor.

The men’s team had its share of record-breaking finishes and season’s best times, finishing second out of the five competing teams. DeGayner led the Tigers in points, with three individual victories in freestyle events, including two record-breaking times. On the first day of competition, DeGayner touched the wall in an impressive 1:43:03 in the 200 freestyle and a 46.17 in the 100 freestyle. Austin Howlett was another male standout; he set the school record for 3-meter diving on the second day of competition, earning 484.25 points for his team and blowing Kris Hammond’s 1978 record of 458.60 points out of the water. The boys’ medley relay, consisting of Chris Garrity, Tyler Larrabee, Flynn McGuire and DeGayner, took second place with a time of 4:43:14. The 200 free relay posted a season best time, with Kevin Dorff, DeGayner, Michael Bennet, and McGuire finishing in 1:27:88.

The meet showcased the talent of both the rookies and veterans on the roster, bringing the team together to celebrate and honor the legacy of yet another graduating class. One thing is for sure, swimmers are some of the most devoted, focused, and debatably insane athletes I’ve ever witnessed in action, and I’m glad I got to take part in it all. With one home meet left on the swim schedule, the first weekend of fifth block will be your last chance this year to check out some talented CC athletes and bangin’ swimmer bods.