NCAA Qualifier Joan Hunter looks to have a big senior season.
After a year in which the team made a leap forward in place at the NEWMAC championships, a strong returning group will serve as a the center for a vastly improved squad. The women will be lead by tri-captains Jenny Fields, Joan Hunter and Kay Lord. The women return all the athletes who scored at the 2007 NEWMAC championship meet save one graduated senior. The recruited class of 2010 will be one which can make an immediate impact on the success of the team.
The Bears will look to try to break into the top four teams at the NEWMAC meet with a nucleus of freestylers that should make for record breaking relays from the 200 free relay through the 800 free relay. The women will have a tough road to return back into the top tier of the conference as Springfield, MIT, Wellesley, and Wheaton all return strong squads.
Joan Hunter is the lone NCAA qualifier from last year’s squad who will look to return to her high level of performance in ’07-’08, and potentially return to NCAA championships. The road to the conference championship will start with a changed first semester schedule that will include the addition of Division I University of Rhode Island, and a combined meet with New York University and Wheaton College. The Bears will look to close the gap in points on SUNY New Paltz (a top 15 team at ’07 NCAA competition), as well as challenge NYU and Wheaton.
The close of first semester will bring the yearly return to the Connecticut College Invitational and teams from the NESCAC (Colby (top 10 at NCAA’s) and host Conn.) and NEWMAC (Wellesley and Wheaton) conferences.
The second semester will begin as the cadets return from training, either on the team trip to Florida or at home. The semester starts off with a tri-meet with NEWMAC rivals Wellesley and Babson. January continues with a meet against Merchant Marine and the return of the inter-academy rivalry.
February will close the regular season with a new meet against NEWMAC opponent Clark which will be the last home meet for the seniors and a day of recognition for them. The final dual meet of the ‘07-08 season will be Wesleyan and the women will really be pushing the Cardinals for the first time in four years.
The women are poised to begin a season which should be remarkable in the improvement from last season. The improvement of the women will show at the NEWMAC championship meet due to the youth movement and the focus on that meet as a culmination for the season. The new additions and returning athletes should make the ’07-08 installment of the women’s swimming and diving team the best in the short history of the program.
