|
By MOLLY KELLEHER Spectator Staff Writer "Winning the meet felt like winning the Super Bowl, except we were swimming and not playing football," first-year swimmer K.J. Klein said after defeating the Penn Quakers on Saturday, 124-117. Going into the meet, the Lions had a lot at stake. The seniors had not yet tasted victory over the Quakers in their four years, and the Lions hoped to improve on their dual-meet record, looking to finish their season with a win. This new chapter of the intense and ancient rivalry between the Quakers and the Lions was written last Saturday, and this time the Lions were the victors, with the seniors providing much of the meet's energy, as they looked for revenge. "As a senior, I had gone three years without seeing our team win against Penn," senior Stephen McGrath said. "It was a particularly gratifying win for our class, I believe, because we faced the prospect of graduating having never beaten the Quakers." The seniors' energy was contagious. "The enthusiasm of the upperclassmen also helped to get us into it. They set the example for the freshmen to follow," said first-year sprinter, Hamish Greenaway. The score was close throughout the high-intensity meet, adding to the tension of the rivalry and racing. Junior P.J. Freuler, senior Todd Berget, and sophomores Joe Zdrilic and Chris Ferris, were able to add much-needed points in several key races. Due to the close score of the meet, attributing the win to one performance is nearly impossible, McGrath said. "I think that it would be difficult to point to any one individual and say that he won the meet. Everyone did his job: we won key events, but we also had guys pick up crucial second, third, and fourth places. In a seven-point win, any one of them could have been the difference," McGrath said. Much credit does go to the diving team. Once again the divers' strong and consistent performance was crucial to the success of the team. Junior Daniel Brown, sophomore Mark Fichera, and first-year Stu Machir won the first, second, and third places in both the one- meter and three-meter events. Their appreciative teammates looked on with respect and support. "[The divers] helped us gain a much-needed edge on Penn. They were the key for us. They have been diving exceptionally all year and they should be recognized," junior Gered Doherty said. "They're kind of like the linemen of the swim scene because a lot of people overlook how vital they are to a victory." Greenaway echoed Doherty's sentiment. "Without [the divers], we would have been out of it. This whole season, they have been there when we needed them and nearly always pull out the sweep. We almost take them for granted they're so consistent." The standout strength of the divers certainly wasn't missing on Saturday, and neither was the support of their teammates. Ultimately, the energy of the team and the enthusiasm of the crowd were the key elements in the meet. The cheering crowd and the high adrenaline left the swimmers with little to doubt. "We simply had so much energy I never even thought about losing," first-year Peter Armstrong said. This excitement will only carry over into the rest of the season. The confidence of this big win will be all the athletes need to keep up their strong performances. "I think our momentum will carry over to Brown," said Doherty. "It should be a fast and competitive meet. I think we proved a little something to ourselves this weekend." With such confidence and enthusiasm, it should be hard to stop this Lion team. As they start to ease off on their practices to conserve energy for the championships, their excitement will build as they see faster times and better dives. They are ready for the remaining two regular season meets and are only getting more excited for the Eastern Championships. "We are definitely ready for Brown; they should be scared," Klein said. |
|
Copyright ©
1999 Spectator Publishing Company. |