Martha Marino remembers the meet well. She was tired and hurt, and her team lost in what she said CollegeSwimming.com called one of the upsets of the week. Richmond defeated the N.C. State women’s swimming and diving team 154-145 on Oct. 27, and it was a day the sophomore said wasn’t one of her best. “It was really upsetting. Personally, my times weren’t that great,” Marino said. “I fell off the block, and my patella shifted.”To add insult to injury, the defeat received the dubious distinction from CollegeSwimming.com. But it’s something Marino said she couldn’t worry about too much.”It’s kind of discouraging. But it’s motivating. You kind of have to laugh it off,” Marino said. “You can’t get upset about it. They’re not doing it to hurt you.”Even as the women’s team has moved on from the Richmond loss, it has also lost to ACC opponents Duke and Maryland already. After those losses and fatigue have crept in early this season, Marino said she hopes the team can get things headed in the right direction.”We have a solid group of girls this year,” Marino said. “So hopefully we can move forward with that.”And even though the men’s swimming and diving team beat Duke and Maryland and is 2-1 on the season, coach Brooks Teal said he’s just as confident in his women’s team as he is in the men’s as they will both swim in the Terrapin Cup Invitational at Maryland this Thursday through Saturday. “I feel equally confident about both teams just because of the way they’ve been training and the way they’ve been swimming,” Teal said. “The women lost some close meets that we would’ve like to have won, but I’m equally confident about both teams being ready to swim fast this weekend.”The meet will feature multiple schools and will be split into preliminary and final races. It’s a format Teal said is similar to what the team will see at ACC championships in February. “That’s the reason we do this, is to get ready for ACCs,” Teal said. “This is kind of like a dress rehearsal for ACCs.”And according to redshirt senior Steve Cowling of the men’s team, it will be one of the toughest meets the team competes in this season.”This is definitely going to be a meet which is going to be up there, our only one apart from ACCs and NCAAs,” Cowling said. “So it’s pretty much going to be our third-hardest-ranked meet.”In addition, Cowling said his team’s wins against Maryland and Duke have been a good boost as the team prepares for this weekend’s invitational. But he said it’s the team’s singular focus that impresses him the most. “We’re keeping as a team. That’s what I think we’re doing best. We’re keeping as one,” Cowling said. “We’re not splitting up. We’re not going our separate ways. We’re all focused.”Part of the team’s preparation includes cutting down its practice length to rest for the three-day meet and also shaving before swimming. It’s a change senior Amy Baskwell said she welcomes.”It definitely helps to break up the season as opposed to having to wait all the way until February to get to shave and really see everything come together,” Baskwell said. Sophomore Cole Yarborough of the men’s team also said the rest will benefit the team.”Knowing that you’re rested going into a meet always helps. You swim faster rested, obviously,” Yarborough said. “And having two conference wins under our belt is a nice thing to go into a big meet like Maryland invite with.”While members of both teams said they need to work on their relays, sophomore Andrew Lester said the men’s team is on track to do well this weekend.”We’re all-around a very strong team, and we have a lot of depth,” Lester said. “So that will help.”Marino put it another way.”Everyone’s fired up. We’re ready to go. Nothing’s holding us back. We’re like a loaded cannon. All of us are going to do pretty well,” Marino said. “It’s one of those things you expect, and if you don’t do well, there’s always these excuses — but I don’t think any of those are coming.”