The cougar is known for its speed and agility on land, stalking its prey without mercy. It's a different story in the water, as the swimming team can tell you.
Both Blue Devil swimming teams destroyed the College of Charleston Cougars in their first meet of the year at the Aquatic Center Saturday afternoon. The men defeated their opponent by a decisive 121-77 margin and the women took an equally impressive 141-93 victory.
The men's team finished last year with a record of 2-8-1, 1-4 in the ACC. The women had a considerably better season (7-4, 2-3 in the ACC) which was enough to carry them into competition for the ACC Championships. While the women's team lost a number of last year's strong seniors, a new influx of talented freshmen are giving both the women's and the men's team a new edge.
"It's a nice way to start the season," coach Robert Thompson said. "Last year, we went to Charleston, and it's always been a team we've been able to handle. We went down there and we weren't very prepared, but pulled out in the last relay. There was some concern that we weren't as mental prepared last year as we should have been. In our situation, when we're in a competitive situation, we can't afford to waste them."
"It also helped that mom and dad were sitting upstairs," Thompson added, referring to the crowded stands because of parents weekend.
Event-for-event, the women's team won every category except the 50-yard freestyle and the 200 butterfly, including four wins by freshmen. ???? Hilger scored two wins in 500 and 1000 freestyle. Her classmate Laura Downey won the 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley, as well as being a member of the 400 medley relay. In addition, senior Susan Keeler won both of her races, the 100 and the 200 freestyle.
"We have a very large freshman class, a lot of new faces, really anxious to show what they're capable of," Thompson said.
The men's team had a rough start in the 400-medley relay, but took the lead in the next event and never looked back. Junior Jack Newhouse led the Blue Devils with two wins, in both the 50 and 100 freestyle.
"When you run a long-meet schedule, and the strokes are 200 instead of 100, depth training definitely helps out a lot," sophomore Clint McHugh said. "Some of these freshmen are pretty tough kids, so in the long races, they do pretty well."
Still, Thomspon believes his team still needs to improve on long-distance races.
"We're probably not, at this point of the season, at the yardage we need to be," Thompson said. "But I think a lot of it is that we don't usually swim this early in the year, and our yardage is just going up."
In diving, junior Kristy Guenther won the one-meter event and placed second in the three-meter event. No diving events took place in men's competition.
The Blue Devils' next meet is Nov. 6 at the Aquatic Center, where they will take on ACC foe Maryland.
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