Saturday afternoon, Chelsey Bower will dive into the pool at the Aquatics Center for the last time as a Bobcat.
She'll swim the freestyle races she's dominated for years, cheer her teammates from the pool deck and head into the locker room as one of the most accomplished swimmers in Ohio University history.
Chelsey and the rest of our seniors have been more than we could ever ask for
coach Greg Werner said. They're leaving here with a championship a bunch of records and the honor of never having finished worse than second in the conference.
During her four years in Athens, Bower built a resume few can match. She owns two school records and won an individual Mid-American Conference title in the 50-yard freestyle and two relay titles.
Bower is a two-time Academic All-MAC selection and was a first-team All-MAC selection last year. She finished 35th last season at the NCAA Championships.
Bower is also part of one of the most accomplished classes in school history. The group has accumulated a record of 40-9 and won a conference championship the 2007-2008 season. As of Saturday's meet against Eastern Michigan, the last time this senior class lost a home meet was early in 2007.
Six other swimmers will see their careers end Saturday: Caitlin Drozin, Rachael Kloosterman, Heather McKenzie, Ashley Poitinger and Allison Schaefer. Diver Amy Bromberg will also compete in her last meet in Athens Saturday.
They've accomplished quite a bit but what is more important is the fact that they've matured into great leaders
said Werner. A team is only good as their seniors.
They've been a lot of fun to work with. As a coach I definitely take a lot of satisfaction in what I've seen. Because
ultimately
our primary goal is to take a young lady and prepare them for college knowing that college is only a part of that.
With the conference championship meet just a few weeks away, the squad still has unfinished business.
It's a bittersweet feeling
said Bower. It's sad because it is our last chance to win at home
but as a senior class we're pumped to go out there and do our best to win a MAC Championship. That's the ultimate goal.
Heim Wins MAC Swimmer of the Week
For the fourth time this season, junior Rachel Heim has won the MAC Swimmer of the Week Award. Heim, who also won the award last week, took first place in six of the seven events she swam in last weekend.
She makes everyone around her better because of her work ethic
Werner said. It's fun to see that
it's fun to be part of that
and it's sure as heck great to have that person on your team instead of the one you're facing.
