Saturday marks the beginning of the Hillsdale Chargers’ swimming season as the team will swim in its Blue/White intersquad scrimmage. The team has been hard at work preparing for the season with daily practices and a team retreat, all while acclimating the new freshmen to the fast-paced, intense world of Charger swimming.
The Blue/White is the team’s first non-competitive event of the year. In preparation for the season ahead, the swimmers will compete against one another for the best race times in both individual medley (IM) and individual stroke races.
“This first scrimmage gives us a taste of a meet atmosphere on home turf without the pressure of points,” senior Grace Houghton said. “It lets upperclassmen get their heads back in the game, and eases the underclassmen into a college team experience. It gives the girls a taste of the team bond you can have at the college level.”
The Chargers’ competitive season will begin at home on Oct. 6 against Davenport University, followed by an away meet at Grand Valley State University on Oct. 19.
“I’m looking forward to traveling with my team and getting to know the new freshmen,” sophomore Hannah Wilkens said. “I’m especially excited for another year in the new conference. Now that we have a feel for what it’s like, we can really go in there and finally beat [the University of Findlay].”
Wilkens mainly competes in IM races, alternating between freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke in a 100 to 400 meter race length.
Junior Caylee McComb is also looking forward to welcoming the newest class of swimmers to the family.
“I’m excited to see the progress the team makes throughout the year,” McComb said. “Hopefully, it ends with a conference championship win.”
McComb mainly competes in sprint freestyle events, such as the 50 and 100 yard race.
This year, the Chargers have welcomed six freshmen to the squad. The upperclassmen are looking forward to seeing what the newcomers can contribute to the team and are excited to see them adjust to the team dynamic with more members.
The Blue/White will be a helpful indicator of the team’s strengths and weaknesses entering the competitive season. The Chargers are determined to take the G-MAC by storm, enjoy some valuable team bonding, and make some great memories along the way.
