For the Terrapin men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, tomorrow’s final dual meet of the season — a matchup against Georgetown at Eppley Recreation Natatorium — will serve as one of the last chores on the to-do list for the Terp swimmers and divers who will gear up for the ACC Championships in Atlanta later this month.
And while the day will be a special one for the nine seniors honored in their final regular-season home meet, its larger significance lies in just how it leads into the sport’s postseason.
“We’re just looking for some great races to set us up for ACCs,” coach Sean Schimmel said. “We’re going to be about 11 days out for the women’s ACCs and about 17 days out for the men’s ACCs, so it’s a real tune-up for us to get ready for that.”
Considering the season is configured to ensure swimmers peak in February and March, it’s hardly surprising to see a newfound vitality sweeping through the Terps .
“Everyone is pretty excited,” freshman short-distance swimmer Colin Stang said. “It’s championship season now, so everyone is pretty antsy to swim fast finally. Georgetown is going to be a good step for everyone to get a chance to see where they are.”
This week, Schimmel implemented a lighter workload during training — tapering, as those in the swimming community call it — in order to help the Terps slash their times in the coming weeks.
“We’ve certainly entered the ‘championship phase’ of our season, and that’s what we look towards,” Schimmel said. “So things are definitely different now in terms of workload and how we’re preparing them to be better than ever before and that’s going to continue. It’s a process that continues through the next two weeks, three weeks and five to six weeks as we go to NCAAs, as well.”
The reduction in yardage allows for a more intense focus on the sport’s minutiae during practice. In a competition frequently decided by tenths or even hundredths of a second, every detail of a swim matters.
“A few weeks or months ago, we would be having nine hard practices a week,” Stang said. “Now, it’s nine more detailed practices, sometimes less yardage to focus on turns or your stroke to make sure it’s ready for the end of the year.”
Tomorrow, though, will be cause for celebration. Co-captains Mitch Challacombe, Roger Dent, Matt Gruszecki and Myles Poster — all vital cogs for the men’s team (1-8) — will be among those honored from this year’s graduating class. On the women’s side (8-2), seniors include co-captains Jessalyn Crawford and Annie Fittin, Blair Cross, Stephanie Parker and diver Montana Puente.
“This is the time for us to really honor the seniors and their commitment and their service over the last four years to Maryland swimming and diving,” Schimmel said. “They’ve certainly been through a lot. What we do is uncommon.”
castello@umdbk.com
