It's the meet the Ohio women's swimming and diving team has been preparing for all year: The 2005 Mid-American Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships start today and will continue through Saturday in the Aquatic Center.
Coach Greg Werner said he is excited for the Bobcat women to have the opportunity to swim well and show off their hard work from the past year.
This is the meet we have chosen to peak for and not show how good we are until this week
he said. I know for a team to beat us they are going to have to be very good as well.
Werner said that every member of the team would have to swim well, as every team competing will be in top form.
It's the championships
he said. This is where we all should be pointing towards and peaking.
Co-captain Jessica Waites said she is looking forward to achieving personal best times in her events this weekend and seeing the entire team perform well.
I just expect that the girls are going to do amazing because a lot of people have a shave-and-taper meet
and we haven't had one yet
Waites said. So people don't even know how fast we will go.
Werner said the five relay events are important because double points are awarded in those events.
If you win all five relays and the next team gets second
that's a 30-point swing right there
he said. That's like adding one more person to your team. It's a huge advantage and something that has benefited us in the past.
Diving coach Russ Dekker said he would love to see all three divers score in the top 16. He said the competition will be tough as all the schools have talented divers.
I think they all have a chance to (finish in the top 16)
he said. They are all going to have to dive well.
Swimming preliminaries start at 11 a.m. today with diving preliminaries following at 2:30 p.m. Finals start at 7 p.m.
The 200-yard freestyle relay, 500 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 400 medley relay and 1-meter diving events will be contested today. All events will take place in the Aquatic Center.
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