It’s been a rough season for the women’s swimming and diving team. The Cardinals wrapped up their regular season campaign on Feb. 7 with a 145-36 loss at the hands of Millikin. The team went winless and suffered six losses and a tie. At the CCIW Championships they took seventh place.
It has been a season of change for the team. They have a new coach, a young roster and potential moving forward to as they continue to rebuild their team. For a season as bleak as this one, there have been some bright spots from these individuals.
Making their mark
With a roster consisting of seven swimmers who are mostly freshmen and sophomores, the Cardinals were looking to build some positive momentum going forward into the season. The team is looking towards their sophomores for leadership and guidance.
“We as a team have worked a lot this year on our stroke technique and endurance,” said Charlotte Kumler, ‘25. “Whether it’s drills, underwaters from the wall, training distance per stroke, starts, turns or kicking, we have all practiced over and over with the intent to execute at conference.”
Since this is a young team, many of the first-year swimmers are looking to step up in a big way. Victoria Robinson, ’26, was practicing with the men’s team for the first few months since she was the only one on the women’s team to not also participate in triathlon competitions. She believes the unique training method has ultimately helped her.
“They pushed me to reach my goals and higher my expectations for myself,” said Robinson.
One step at a time
The progress of the team has been considered stellar, with swimmers such as Kumler and Scarlett Schuth, ‘25, pursuing personal best times, and Taylin Lemke, ‘25, proved that she was ready to compete at the conference championships by delivering a time in the 500-yard freestyle of 6 minutes and 6.94 seconds against Millikin Feb. 4. Many of the newcomers have helped contribute as well, such as Victoria Robinson, ‘26, helping her team win the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1 minute and 53.92 seconds.
“Although most of us have swam for many years, there is always room for improvement,” said Abigail Anderson, ’25. “As always, I want us to do our best, not just at conference or every other meet we have, but at every practice.”
While it may be an uphill battle for the program, the future seems bright for this young and hungry team.
