Because my printed article focused exclusively on Northwestern's performance at The Classic at SMU in Dallas last weekend, here is a brief recap of NU's second meet of the weekend.
With half the team in Dallas, the remaining swimmers stayed in Evanston to take on Division III schools Carthage and Olivet. While the Wildcats won easily, finishing 1-2 in every race except one, their performance left something to be desired.
“It was difficult for the guys to get up emotionally for this meet,” assistant coach John Pontz said. “So based on that I thought, they swam decently.”
Having not raced in nearly a month, NU looked a little sluggish. The splits were a little slower than usual, and the team lacked that extra push. This is due, in part, to the swimmers still operating in what the coaches call “training mode.” Practices have focused on fitness and technique rather than race simulation, which, although important, made it difficult for the Cats to get ready for a clearly inferior opponent.
That being said, the meet did showcase some of NU’s up-and-coming swimmers, as well as guys who wouldn’t normally take on primary roles. Freshman Sean Mathews and senior Daniel Walls won two individual events and the Cats won both relays by at least two seconds.
“It was a good meet,” sophomore Bryan Pinkston said. “We got some races in, and it helped us get ready for Notre Dance this weekend.”
With the team reunited, the Cats must refocus this week to prepare for a beatable Notre Dame squad. With the season coming to close, it could be a defining meet for NU.
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