By John Custodio
Coming off of two wins in a row, Oswego State men’s and women’s swim and dive are preparing for SUNYACs, from Feb. 16-19.
The Lakers dominated Buffalo State on Jan. 26, drowning the Bengals with a final score of 159-57 for the men’s team and 142-42 for the women. Against SUNY Potsdam, the men’s team won 160-125 and the women won 172-95.
The men started strong against Buffalo State with sophomore Ajani Isles, junior Ray Paull, senior Nate Einstein and junior Vincent Mullen scoring 11 points over the Bengals’ four in the men’s 200 yard medley relay. Other strong swimmers were senior Grace Parente and senior Allegra Neglia, scoring 11 and four points respectively in the women’s 1000 yard freestyle. In the men’s 200 yard Individual Medley, junior Zach Brown and Einstein dominated, with Brown scoring nine points on a 2:02 time and Einstein scoring four on a 2:12, with the closest Buffalo State swimmer trailing behind with a 2:16 time and 3 points.
In the meet against SUNY Potsdam, the women’s 200 yard medley relay team of Neglia, senior Eva Potvin, Parente and senior Keaton Maring sank the Bears, scoring 11 points over their four. Twyla Nastasia scored nine points for the Lakers in the women’s 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 11:44.
For the men’s 100 yard backstroke, freshman Simon Daw scored nine points with a time of 56.55 seconds and senior Matt Rolph scored four points with a time of 58.38 seconds. In the men’s 50 yard freestyle, junior Matt Seyse scored nine points, just edging out SUNY Potsdam with a time of 22.95 seconds to the Bears’ 23.27 seconds.
In both meets, the Lakers men and women diving came close behind Buffalo State and SUNY Potsdam, with senior Eric Dzierzgowski solidifying points for the Lakers despite not coming in first. Against Buffalo State, Dzierzgowski scored 182.32 to the Bengals’ 188.25 and earned four points for the Lakers. The women’s team provided a stable base for the Lakers in both meets, with seniors Laura Bornheimer and Jessica Azoulay scoring the team 14 points against SUNY Potsdam.
After a solid final two meets, the Lakers are ready for SUNYACs at the Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center at Erie Community College in Buffalo from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19. Head coach Mike Holman is feeling prepared for the contest, saying how the team does at the meet is now out of his hands.
“I’m confident that if they did what I asked them to do and they take care of themselves the way that they’re supposed to, they will do very well,” Holman said.
The Lakers have just under two weeks before SUNYACs and have been training hard, with a training camp in Florida over the winter break and constant practices throughout the semester until SUNYACs.
“I believe in what we do, and I think if they work hard, which most of them have, they should get solid results,” Holman said.
Captains and seniors Parente and Potvin are ready and expect a lot from their team, especially after the hard Florida training camp. With two practices a day and some swimming over ten thousand meters a day during the camp, Potvin said she is proud of her team.
Parente said SUNYACs is going to be a do-or-die meet, especially after not being able to swim last year.
“After this, it’s over, I can’t compete anymore,” Parente said. “I’ve had all of these goals for this year and for SUNYACs, so I’m putting a lot of pressure on. I’m going to get it done.”
Potvin is still preparing mentally for the end, especially for the final moments of the anticipated meet after her long-term plans for her college swimming career were changed by COVID-19.
“On the last day, and the last session, they have all the seniors from all the teams walk out and they announce them onto what’s called a bulkhead,” Potvin said. “And I definitely think I was ready to watch that for three years before I had to do it myself, and I had this nice four year plan for how I was going to get, and it kind of got upended. So I think when I walk out on that bulkhead on that last day, it’s going to be if I don’t feel like I put everything I could have into the meet, I really won’t have deserved it.”
Parente said her final race, the 200 yard butterfly, is going to be her hardest but also the race she has had the biggest goals for.
“I’ve just visualized, even over the summer, touching that wall and finishing that two fly, and then I’m just going to be a mess and in tears afterwards.”
Holman said he will miss the senior class, especially as they make up slightly over half of the team with thirteen seniors leaving.
“Anyone who makes it this far, in general, I have a lot of respect for,” Holman said. “They’re people who’ve contributed to our program directly over the past four years but also indirectly through our culture. They’ve contributed a lot of themselves to who we are.”
Photo provided by Michelle Quiachon
