In the wake of early season, the Bobcats will prepare to catch the proverbial worm and get off to a good start in their first two meets.
This Friday and Saturday, the Bobcats travel to Eastern Michigan and Toledo to start the 2010-11 season. While the competition might be tough, coach Greg Werner said he is optimistic about the swim team.
We are looking pretty good
he said. We are excited at the prospects for the season. ... It's very early in the year so we have a long ways to go and a lot of things to work on but the nice thing is that we have a long time to change (everything).
The competition will be tough this weekend for the Bobcats, who head 5 hours north to take on the Eagles.
Eastern Michigan is a well-coached team
and they are a very
very good team
Werner said. They are better (now) than their finish at the (Mid-American Conference) Championships last year
and they are the last team to win back-to-back championships. They know how to win. They have quite some accomplishments as individuals and as a swim team.
The Bobcats travel an hour south after that to compete against the Rockets Saturday. Werner said while the long bus rides this weekend will take their toll on the team, they will prepare the women for more important meets at the end of the season.
We go three and a half days in a row (at the MAC championships)
so it's preparation
he said. These early meets are very important. They are stepping stones for what we hope to achieve late in the year.
While this will be the second meet for the Bobcats, Toledo has already competed three times.
They are the defending conference champions
Werner said. They have been competing very well and putting up some great performances.
Werner is very optimistic about the team's progress with practice, with an alternation of swim practice and strength training six days a week.
We have been practicing for six weeks
he said. It adds up to about twenty hours a week.
With many returning swimmers and divers from last year, Werner is confident about the season. Key individuals to keep an eye on include Rachel Heim, Lindsay Hamilton, Mary Rose Hillstrom and Anastasia Bocharnikova.
We have a very
