The Hillsdale College Chargers are set to compete in the G-MAC Championships in Canton, Ohio, from Wednesday, Feb. 13 through Saturday.
Head coach Kurt Kirner said he’s confident in the team’s outlook, saying they’re at their best and ready to compete. One of the team’s mantras is “We are warriors, not worriers.”
“We’ve completed our physical conditioning and race skills strategy preparation,” Kirner said. “We spent the entire season building a mental training plan to match the competitive peak necessary for us to be at the best of our abilities.”
Junior Catherine Voisin said everyone has worked hard and she’s impressed with the team’s tenacity.
“We’ve had a lot of issues with injuries,” Voisin said. “But despite the setbacks, I know the team will do well.”
Leading up to G-MACs, Voisin said the team tapered off its practices to let muscles recover. Practices have been very detail-oriented and require a lot of focus on perfecting the small things, Voisin said.
Freshman Anna Clark said she’s to swim in her first conference championship. She said she’s never felt so prepared for a meet in her swimming career.
“In club and high school swimming, I didn’t get many chances to swim butterfly in practice and I didn’t know how to strategize my races,” Clark said. “With my training this year, I feel prepared to swim fast and I think the team is well-prepared as well.”
As a senior and team captain, Anika Ellingson carries experience going into the G-MAC meet.
“I’ve done this for the past three years, so I know what to expect and how to prepare,” Ellingson said.
Ellingson said the team’s mock races have prepared it to constantly be in race mode.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to score some more points and make Findlay sweat,” sophomore Katherine Heeres said.
