The Georgetown men’s and women’s swimming programs first dipped their toes in the water in mid-September, but things really got kicking with the first dual meet at Delaware on Oct. 6.
Though the Hoyas lost the meet overall, there were several strong individual performances. “We’ve only had two meets, and I am pleased with how we’re doing,” Head Coach Jamie Holder said of the season so far. “I think were ahead of schedule, compared to last year.”
The Delaware meet showcased much of the young talent on the team, especially freshman Austin Evenson who won the 500 and 1,000-yard freestyle. Other freshmen standouts Cal Rhode, Erin Timochenko, Maryellen Campbell, and Nicole Tronolone placed in the top three in their respective events. “I was pretty impressed with some of my freshman performances,” Holder said. “They were in close races. I was pretty happy with how they did.”
Several upperclassmen also showed up at the pool, achieving a slew of top-three finishes. Of note were junior Lauren Opatrny’s win in the 200-yard individual medley and junior Christian Kilgore’s first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke.
“We started off the season pretty strong. At Delaware last week, we had a strong performance,” said women’s captain and senior Christina Daquila. “I don’t think it’s necessarily where we want to be, but we had some good races, so that was exciting. I think we have a really strong team. We have been working really hard in the weight room and the pool to have a good season and to be ready for the Big East.”
This weekend, the Hoyas travel to Baltimore to take on Towson. “Right now we’re focused on training hard,” Holder said. “Obviously we’re going to put in our best lineup to deal with Towson, but we’re aiming on improving for the end of the year.”
The swimming season runs for about six months, requiring the athletes and coaching staff to maintain a high level of fitness and morale for an extended period of time. The Big East season begins at the beginning of November, and is mixed in with meets against schools from throughout the region up until the Big East Swimming and Diving Championships in late February and early March.
“I think one of the biggest challenges is just to keep positivity up through all of the dual meets,” said Daquila. “We have a long season, so we need to focus on keeping spirits high and keeping our minds ready when were at practices and in the weight room. We want to win as many meets.”
With the season only beginning, Coach Holder is optimistic. “We want to keep getting faster every meet, and just use each one as a stepping stone to the next level. I anticipate that we’re going to continue to improve as a team.”
