Women's swimming cough up two, prepare for Florida

The women's swimming team lost twice over the weekend of the Nov. 21-22 to conference opponents Wittenburg University 122 to 96 and to The College of Wooster 98 to 51.

"We weren't expecting to win," said Coach Dick Michaels. "Consequently we didn't do anything particularly good."

"I think we were really tired," said junior Julie Chor. "Wittenburg was a long bus ride which made the whole team lethargic, it was a tough weekend because we had back-to- back meets."

However, the team did break a varsity record at Wittenburg in the 200-yard medley relay of 2:01.43 reducing it to 2:00.86 with sophomore Andrea Lindborg, sophomore Shana Ageloff, Chor and first-year Aurie Cabou.

"It was exciting breaking the varsity record," said Chor, "I think that we have it in us to do even better at the conference."

"Breaking the record was really awesome," said co-captain junior Sarah Titus, explaining that it was especially good at this point in the season when everyone is so tired.

Junior Clara Stemewedel won the 1000-yard freestyle in 11:16.74 and the 200-yard freestyle in 2:07.75 back-to-back.

Lindborg also swam her fastest 100-yard backstroke of the season with a time of 1:06.50.

At Wooster, first-year Tiffany Hancock swam the 500-yard freestyle in 5:56 to take third and Michaels is expecting even better come conference time.

"We're doing very well with the people we have," said Michaels, "hopefully we'll keep the good ones and get new good swimmers [next year] to raise the level of the team."

This weekend, Stemewedel will be swimming at the Miami Invitational on Dec. 4-6 in Oxford, Ohio. "She's going to try to the NCAA qualifying time in the mile," explained Michaels who seemed confident that she would achieve this goal.

Almost the entire team goes to Florida from Jan. 3rd to the 9th to train. "All we do is eat, swim and sleep," said Titus. "We get to swim in a beautiful glass covered pool with palm trees on the outside, but we are swimming all day." She continued to say that, although the team will be very tired after winter term, it is a good time for the team because they only focus on swimming and do not have to worry about classes. "Florida's all about gaining big muscles," Titus said.

"With a taper the team could go much faster in February at the conference," Titus said.

Without a taper the team's record stands at two wins and three losses.

The Yeowomen next meet is not till the middle ofJanuary, with the conference championships happening at Carr Pool over Valentine's weekend.