Swimming season starts on Saturday, but Penn has already conceded the title. In fact, the team couldn't care less about who wins the Ivy League crown. Instead of championships, the men are focused on team growth.
Coach Mike Schnur knows his team can't beat Top-25 Harvard or defending-champion Princeton, but he is not giving up on the season.
"We're here to help each athlete improve," Schnur said. "Where an improved Penn team finishes in the end, we'll see."
The Quakers swam to a 2-6 league record last year that put them in a tie for seventh place. This year's team would not settle for the same fate.
"Where we are with this team and these freshman, there is no way we don't improve," senior captain Brandon Thompson said. "It's not an option."
The team is led by a strong senior class highlighted by captains Thompson and Jason McGrath. Though the seniors are the backbone of the team, they are outnumbered by a very strong freshman class that makes up over a third of the squad.
McGrath can't wait for the season to start for many reasons, one of which is the excitement of the freshmen.
"Competition is completely different from practice." McGrath said. "We know what the freshmen can do in practice, but a match is totally different."
The accomplished freshman class is not a coincidence but an indication of an up-and-coming program. "Recruits like our program and feel a personal connection to coach Schnur," Thompson said.
Only a few months away from having been recruited, the freshmen will be relied upon out of the gate. Illinois state finalist Jimmy Munson will start racing in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke, while Pennsylvania state champion Kyle Loughran will swim in the sprints alongside junior and school record-holder Pat Gallagher. Many other freshmen will dive into the pool when the season gets under way this weekend.
Schnur is sure the rookies will do well because they have been able to emulate a great senior class. While the freshmen can rely on their elders in practice, they are all alone in the pool when competition comes around.
"Swimming is a very individual sport; there is no one out there to help you," Schnur said. "But at the same time you can feed off your teammates."
Penn will be put to the test in its first meet this weekend when it travels to New England to take on powerhouse Harvard. Like the overall success of the season, the Quakers won't be judged on a win or loss, but rather how they compete.
