The beginning of the end for W. Swimming

After another lackluster season, the Penn women's swimming team competes in Easterns in Princeton, N.J. - the last team competition of the year. Beginning today and continuing until Saturday, the Penn women's swimming team will be participating in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships -- the event they have been preparing for since winter break. The Quakers will face the six other teams in the Ivy League as well as Army, Navy, Johns Hopkins and Swarthmore. Although they lost to Army and every other team in the league, the Red and Blue expect to perform better than they did at last year's championship, when they placed 10th of 11 teams. "We're all really psyched for Easterns," Penn sophomore Lauren Hibbert said. "Everyone has been feeling really good these last few days of practice, so hopefully everything will fall into place when we have to race. We've been gearing for this meet for a long time now, and I think everyone is ready to swim fast? we'll be going after Army, that's our best shot at beating someone, and even Dartmouth, too." Although Brown won last year, they are not necessarily this year's favorite. Yale just narrowly beat both Princeton and Brown in dual meets, and thus all three will be contending for the top honor. The Quakers believe that the intense competition among the Elis, the Tigers and the Bears will push them to swim faster. "Our team goals include relays, placing in the top five in the medley relays and 400-freestyle relays," Quakers sophomore Lauren Ballough said. "Princeton is one of the fastest pools in the country and definitely the fastest in our league. The situation for competition is great, we have been consistent all year, and we have trained harder than ever. Last year we were an even younger team, so now we have some experience. It's all a mental game." Sophomore Johanna Minich will represent Penn's diving team at Princeton. In her first season of collegiate diving, Minich led all Penn divers in every meet, and won the overall diving competition at the meet against Columbia and Rutgers. "I do have a few goals for this meet," Minich said. "I hope to perform as well if not better than I have at some of my best meets this season. I think the pressure will affect me positively and force me to dive my best. I will be competing a couple of new dives that I've just learned, so this will add tremendously to the pressure to perform." Over the last few weeks, the Quakers have been sacrificing dual meets in order to be in prime form for Easterns. Additionally, they have been tapering so that when they are shaved and ready to race they will be overwhelmed by their speed. Penn, although young, has been extremely focused this year and even mentioned ECACs back in November. Their great enthusiasm and optimism is immediately evident, although it hasn't been the solution to their record. The Quakers have a last chance to prove themselves and to show the other teams the progress they have made this season.

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