Swimming stays optimistic

The CSB/SJU Swim and Dive teams are getting back into the swing of things after a campuswide order for restricted activity due to the rise of COVID-19 cases. In order to decrease the number of cases on campus, all sports were paused for a week, but are beginning to safely return. The swimmers are ecstatic for the opportunity to start practicing again, although it comes with a few adjustments and regulations.

“I’m so excited to get started again and connect with all the incoming first-years,” Ana Birklid, CSB junior swim team member, said.

The season will look a little different this year than it has in the past, but the teams are adjusting well to the new norms. In order to practice, masks are to be worn in the locker room and on the pool deck, while athletes remain distanced from one another. Additionally, both teams are required to stay in pods of nine to ten swimmers and limited to only two people per lane, different than the usual four or five per lane. The separate pods practice at various times throughout the day, limiting the team’s interaction as a whole. The pods continue to remain the same throughout each class block, as the schools have adopted a new block schedule in an effort to limit cross contamination between classrooms and students.

In a usual competition year, the teams would be coming up on their first meet of the season within the next two weeks. However, in-person competitions will not begin until January 2021. The idea of virtual meets has been discussed in order to compare various MIAC schools swim times and get a feel for what the standings may have been in a regular 2020 season. These virtual meets may be implemented soon, in order to ignite the competitive fire amongst the teams.

Regarding the changes, “It’s been quite the adjustment, but most people on the team are just happy to be back,” Joseph Schwamm, SJU senior and swim captain, said.

Within these uncertain times, both teams are continuing to remain optimistic. They are finding positives in the little things and making the most of this uncertain time. CSB captain Clara Livermore’s senior year is not going as she had intended; however, she is making the most of it.

“I am most excited about the unknowns of the season. I think at first, I was worried but now it has come to be a completely new adventure and I get to do it with all my best friends. Everything is so up in the air and we do not know what to expect, it is like having the excitement of being a first year while still having some experience,” Livermore said.

This uplifting attitude may have been a reflection on the positivity of her coach.

“The team and I are taking every day as it comes, and we appreciate the opportunity to be able to train. The uncertainty with what’s to come next month and the month after is definitely unnerving but has been a great lesson in staying positive and making the most of the days we have,” Amanda Wolvert, CSB Head Coach, said.