The contrast between the fall schedules of the Florida men’s and women’s swimming teams is striking.
The men usually have a meet followed by a week or more of training while the women seemingly have three meets a week.
With all of the work the team has done already this season, one has to wonder whether fatigue is going to be an issue going forward, especially going into this weekend’s competition against Stanford and Michigan.
After last week’s loss to Georgia, senior leader Sarah Bateman attributed the disappointing result to fatigue, saying “we’re at different points in our seasons right now. I know our team is really tired.”
All of the work the Gators are going through now, though, is just another part of the plan to keep their focus on the Southeastern Conference and NCAA championships in March.
“At the end of the year we’re going to go to a four-day competition at the conference meet,” coach Gregg Troy said. “It’s high stress every day, twice a day, so you’re looking at eight tough sessions.”
In his press conference on Monday, Troy also gave a different way of looking at how fatigue will play a role in his team’s performances. He said that this week’s schedule equates to a regular week of training, with the meets themselves taking the place of what he calls the “quality work” portion of the practice.
The test for this Gators team will come this Friday and Saturday, when they head north to Ann Arbor, Mich. There, they will have another chance to prove themselves against tough competition, particularly a Stanford squad that placed fourth at the NCAA Championships last spring.
As has been the case for most of the season, the Gators’ results will be decided largely by the performances of their experienced core of seniors Teresa Crippen and Sarah Bateman, junior Jamie Bohunicky and sophomore Elizabeth Beisel.
Crippen was named SEC Female Swimmer of the Week on Tuesday in recognition of her performance against Georgia, when she earned victories in the 200 fly, 200 back and 400 individual medley.
Regardless of how the team deals with the strain of another exhausting week, the Gators can look toward championship season in March, when there early-season trials will pay off.
