4:47 p.m. – Hello everyone! I am back in the media room of the Conroe Natatorium. Coach Carlson, coach Weyandt, and I arrived ahead of the team after our meeting in Michelle and Hayley’s room. If the morning goes well, we will park in the exact same spot. If it doesn’t, we won’t.
The meeting was short and sweet. Carlson was pleased with the team’s performance this morning and told the women that they are currently sitting in a better position than last year. In 2014, Carlson throught his squad got off to a slow start, yet the Gusties were still in 10th at the end of the night.
All three coaches commended the team for its preparation and thought the support on the deck was tremendous. Coach Lindstrom complimented the swimmers on their ability to stay calm and collected despite such a intense and intimidating atmosphere. Coach Weyandt told the team to continue to feed off each other’s energy because that’s what carried them to a conference title back in mid-February.
I forgot to mention this earlier this morning so I will now. Following the morning session, the swimmers are on their own for lunch. Coach Carlson urges them to spend that time with family. It’s also an important time to rest and refuel. One thing I remember vividly about last year’s meet was the importance put on doing the little things right. Whether it’s a warmup or cool down, rehydrating or taking a nap, or even something as small as thanking family and friends for making the journey, it all pays dividends in the end. A lot of little aspects go into the big picture that is the NCAA Championships.
Below are the live links for tonight. I will be checking in periodically before the 200-medley relay’s race.
5:29 p.m. – Below is a rundown of the top deck attire I’ve seen thus far.
1. DePauw University – Black and yellow checkered soccer jerseys. DePauw always brings the heat when it comes to NCAA Championships gear.
2. University of Chicago – Chicago flag themed shirts – a classic tribute to the Windy City.
3. Kenyon College – Texas-themed bro tanks. These need no explanation.
4. Ithaca College – Full length boxing style coats.
5. Johns Hopkins University – The Blue Jays win the “risqué slogan” award thus far.
6:12 p.m. – The finals session is underway! Before the Gusties take to the water, the finals for the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, and women’s three-meter diving will take place.
The atmosphere in Conroe is different than it was in the morning – but that’s to be expected in the finals session. There are less heats and that means less athletes competing. That also means cheering sections grow in size. I used the term “nervous energy” once before and that’s how I would describe the scene right now.
7:17 p.m. – The Gusties are still waiting for their turn. One observation I’ve made as I pace around nervously is spectacle of the finals. The race is introduced by the public address announcer and the participants are marched onto the bulk head and to their lanes. I say marched because they walk in single file and usually have a military look to them. The best way to describe the scene is to compare it to the introduction of a wrestler in the WWE. The PA announcer announces the race, the music drops, and the swimmers do their best Hulk Hogan impression. This is especially the case for the men. The music has varied between classic rock and top 40. The most recent was Adam Levine’s Sugar. Once the swimmer is to his/her block it’s all about ritual. Much like a free throw or an extra point, each swimmer has his/her own pre-race routine.
8:42 p.m. – Boom! The Gustavus Adolphus women’s swimming and diving team has its first All-Americans of the 2015 NCAA Championships. The 200-medley relay comprised of Booher, Strom, Reilly, and Olson finished seventh with a time of 1:43.96. Coach Carlson was pleased with the team’s race and thought the group smart. He said they were cautious with their starts – something that’s to be expected with All-American honors at stake early in the week.
I took in the race from behind the lane No. 1 starting block where I shot video of the entire showing. It…was…intense. The energy at the starting line is intense. The streams and cheers don’t stop for the entirety of the race. The ladies went into the finals confident and came out pleased with their performance. A good start.
I am going to run off to do an interview with the team and then it’s back to the hotel.
9:29 p.m. – After conducting an interview with the 200 medley relay poolside, it was straight back to the hotel. Coach Weyandt ordered the team’s meal ahead of time so it was waiting for them when we got back.
Coach Carlson decided to pass on tonight’s team meeting so I don’t have a lot of material to end the night with. Yeah, thanks coach. I will close with this story: As I sat in the media room following the 200 medley relay, one of the reporters in the room was looking through the results. She was muttering quietly to herself and then suddenly said out loud, “Wow, that’s quite the split by Jenny Strom.” She turned to me and said, “That’s quite the performance by the Gusties.”
With the 24 points from its finish tonight, Gustavus sits in the a tie for ninth place. The Gusties sit beside no other than St. Thomas in ninth. Deja vu to February anyone?
As I close today’s blog I will say that it was great to see Gusties on the podium once again. Tonight was about setting the tone for the rest of the meet, and in my opinion, this group did that. Congrats to Katie, Jenny, Hayley, and Kate on a job well done!
A formal recap along with video of tonight’s race will be out shortly.
Good night from Coach Carlson and I! Thanks for reading and don’t be afraid to email me with advice or insight.
To give fans of behind the scenes look at this year’s NCAA Championships, Sports Information Director Ethan Armstrong will be with the Gustavus swimmers in Shenandoah. Over the course of the four-day meet, Armstrong will be blogging, posting pictures and videos, and providing day-by-day recaps of all the action. His blog posts will be entitled “Lone Star State Of Mind” and will be updated on the Gustavus athletics website throughout the meet.