Oct. 24 marks the date of the men’s swimming and diving teams’ first dual match against Duke and Maryland at College Park. The men have been stepping up their training since the summer in order to prepare for the upcoming season, practicing eight times a week at minimum.
“Back in the spring, both the men’s and women’s teams came to the coaches saying they weren’t satisfied, and they let the coaches know that they wanted to work harder,” coach Brooks Teal said. “Over the summer we really stepped up the training and the athletes really surprised themselves with their abilities. We had a great summer and are now trying to keep the momentum going.”
Senior Mason McGee said the teams mixed up their training techniques so they could benefit from a variety of methods.
“Both teams are very focused,” Teal said. “We have really been challenging them, particularly in dry land work in order to get them at a better overall fitness before they get into the water.”
Last year, Teal said the team was able to move up in the ACC standings, and hopes this year to place in the top half of the conference.
“The ACC has a lot of fast guys,” senior Kevin Woodhull-Smith said. “My sophomore year, a lot of freshman came in and I think this year it will be as competitive, if not more than it was last year.”
Both Woodhull-Smith and McGee broke a total of four school records each last year, along with their top season performances. Woodhull-Smith set the school record for the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:47.06.
“I had to go that fast because the ACC is that fast. I got 8th in the conference [for the 200 IM] with our school record time,” said Woodhull-Smith. “Everyone was saying ‘you went so fast,’ and I was like, ‘I had to because everyone else is dropping three or four seconds too.'”
For freshman Brandon Kingston, the new level of competition is a big change. From a small town just north of Toronto, Canada, Kingston said the level of competition here at State is very different and a lot more exciting.
“At home I trained with one really fast girl and one really fast guy, but here everyone is fast, so there is more of a variety to train with,” Kingston said. “I am looking forward to everything this season. It is a big change and I am excited for the possibility to swim fast and see how I do and go from there.”
The members of the men’s team do not only work hard for themselves, but the team seems to have a special bond which helps drive the members to want to do better.
“We are a really close team from top to bottom,” said McGee. “That’s something we pride ourselves on. We see each others as brothers, more than teammates. It’s big because when you go behind the blocks, you are not just doing it for yourself, you are doing it for them too.”
The team’s pre-season hard work will be on display in its first dual meet this season, as it officially starts Oct. 24. However, the team will compete in the Red and White Scrimmage at home, Friday, Oct. 9.
“We invite everyone to come out and support the team,” said Teal. “The meets are a lot of fun, and I think that if they [came to the meet,] the students will enjoy themselves and be glad they did.”
