The Oberlin swimming and diving team packed more intensity into Winter Term than the average sleep-past-noon Obie. They started the month with a week-long training trip in Florida, before coming back for a meet against Case Western Reserve and Wooster on Saturday, Jan. 12. They followed with back-to-back meets against John Carroll University and Kenyon on Jan. 18 and 19.
After returning from Florida and workouts of over 10,000 meters a day, the Oberlin swimming and diving team traveled to Case Western for a tri-meet the following day. Although the team’s overall performance was disappointing, there were some excellent individual times, including some personal bests.
Sophomore Meagan Dunphy-Daly had her seventh consecutive personal best in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:14.02. First-year Kim Davis and senior Karen Grushka both gave excellent performances with times very near their season bests. Senior Malaika Jeter returned from a semester abroad in England and jumped right into the season cranking out a time of 27.76 in the 50 free. Junior Todd Wedge provided two season bests with times of 12:08 in the 1000 free and 5:45 in the 500 free.
“We’ve had a lot of illness this year,” Head Coach Dick Michaels said. “It’s been tough.”
Illness was particularly a problem for the meets against John Carroll and Kenyon, reducing the Oberlin men’s team to just seven swimmers. Again the team performance was disappointing, but there were some noteworthy individual races.
Wedge again achieved a season best by dropping another second from his time for the 1000 free. Sophomore Chuck Treatman and first-year David Kreiss-Tomkins both achieved season best times in the 100 back.
The next day, Treatman made season bests in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Once again, Wedge achieved a season best in the 1000 free.
The women had a few more swimmers than the men did but were still unable to come up with a win against John Carroll. However, they did turn out some excellent individual performances. Senior Celeste Mercer won all three events that she swam. Senior Becky Ducore turned out a lifetime best of 1:14.09 in the 1000 free. Sophomore Adrienne Zoller produced a lifetime best in the 100 breast with a time of 1:17.24. Sophomore Nikki Middaugh was also a triple winner, competing in the breast leg of the medley, the 200 IM and the 100 breast.
Against Kenyon, the women’s team came within just eight points of winning the meet. Sophomore Lindsey Martin-McCormick had her season best in the 1000m free completing it in just over 11:59. Sophomore Nina Calderon had her lifetime best in the same event with a time of 12:52.02. Senior Hannah Gotschall won the 200 back with a time of 2:26.51, a season best for her.
The Oberlin swimming team goes into the North Coast Athletic Conference championship next Wednesday with several individuals who could make the National Division III Championship.
The Yeomen will be lead by sophomore Burt Betchart, who has a chance to qualify for the NCAA championship in the 200 IM, 100 and 200 backstroke events. Last year, Betchart finished in the top six of all three events at the NCACs.
First-year Ben Pierce could be a finalist in the 100, 200 and 500 free. Sophomore Joel Ketner has two chances for finals in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. Senior captain Rahula Strohl will be swimming on all five relay teams and has his best chance to make the finals in the 100 butterfly.
The Oberlin women’s swimming team will be lead into the NCAC championships by Senior All-American Celeste Mercer, who holds eight individual Oberlin varsity records. Celeste already has a “B” cut for NCAAs in the 100 backstroke, but will be trying to improve her time in her last NCAC championship meet.
“Right now, I don’t think her B cut is going to go to nationals,” Michaels said. “It’s a really slow B cut.”
Mercer was a two-time All-American in her sophomore year, but didn’t perform as well in her junior year.
“This year, we’re trying to duplicate what happened her sophomore year,” Michaels said.
Middaugh, Gottschall and Ducore were all consolation finalists last year, meaning that although they were not in the top eight, they were in the second heat, and they stand to do well again. This is quite an achievement in this conference, which is consistently one of the best in the country.