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Swimming and diving take the MWC title

by Abby Rapoport

As every swimming season comes to a close, Coach Erin Hurley hopes for the best performances possible from her swimmers and divers at the Midwest Conference Championships. As usual, Hurley was not disappointed.

This year's swimming and diving teams have been one of the strongest in years and the teams have the records to prove it.

The men's and women's diving teams not only won their respective Midwestern Conference Championships, the teams also broke four school records in the process. While the season is now over for almost everyone, co-captains Dan Shryock '06, Peter Brown '06 and Sarah Stayer '06 have all provisionally qualified for nationals.

Brown alone broke two school records in both the 50 free and the 200 free, the latter being the swim team's oldest record, dating back to 1984. Brown went on to win the 100 free and he was also named Swimmer of the Year.

Shryock, who was named Diver of the Year for the second year in a row, set a Midwestern Conference Championship record with a dive he had never attempted before in competition. His expectations for the championship were low because of a poor practice before the meet began. However, by the end of the meet he had broken championship record and also provisionally qualified for nationals on the one meter.

Stayer was also surprised by the incredible performances at the meet. "You walk away [from a previous conference] thinking it's never gonna be better, but to come back and have people be even more amazing is just unbelievable" she said.

Stayer, who had to switch her hurdle leg after knee surgery on a torn ACL, provisionally qualified for nationals on the three meter.

Stayer, Brown and Shryock will all have to wait about two weeks before they hear if they will make it to nationals.

None of these star performers expected to do so well. "In the back of my mind I had kind of hoped but I didn't think it was realistic," said Brown. Instead he was "focused on the team aspect of the competition."

The team focus was evident in all parts of the meet, particularly in the times of exhibition swimmers, who did not have a chance to advance to finals themselves but swam their best in the hopes of seeding their teammates well.

The team also focused on getting closer throughout the season, allowing them to support each other even more at the meet.

"This season as a whole was the best sports season I've ever had in my life ? I feel like this was the perfect culmination," said Shryock.

The women's 400 medley relay team, Julia McHugh '07, Lucy McCormick '06, Amanda Keledjian '08 and Lauren Gehbauer '07, also broke a school record.

"We may not have won as many individual titles as in years past but our depth was the strongest it's ever been and that's what makes a competitive championship team," said Hurley.

Sidebar: MWC Champions

Both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams successfully defended their MWC titles

The women's swimming and diving MWC title makes them the DIII Midwest Conference champions for the eighth year in a row

The men's MWC title is their fifth consecutive swimming and diving championship

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