By Bella Santoro
The Stonehill College Women’s Swimming team went head-to-head at their first meet of the season on October 9 at the Keene State College Aquatic Center.
This year is full of new beginnings since it’s the first official season for the Skyhawks after adding the program to the school in 2019.
“We’ve prepared with hard work. We took a very meticulous approach to our training,” Caleb Potvin, head coach of the women's swimming program said. “They’re all beyond supportive of one another, and they’re laying a great foundation for future success through their commitment to our values of hard work, dedication, commitment, supportiveness, sportsmanship, and teamwork.”
And that’s exactly what the “swamily” showed in Saturday’s competition. Stonehill split the dual, earning the first head-to-head win in program history with a 194.00-56.00 victory over Colby-Sawyer College.
Despite a rally from 35 points down after four events, Stonehill came up just short against host Keene State College. The Skyhawks fell to the Owls with a final score of 136.00-135.00. However, the future looks bright for the young Skyhawk team as sophomore captain, Sydney Stockwell, took first place in all three of her individual swims on Saturday.
“Overall, the team is moving in the right direction but we’re just getting started and have a long way to go,” Potvin said.
But it’s not just what the team does in the pool setting that contributes to their success.
“More importantly than our training, perhaps is the great work our captains and the team are doing emphasizing and establishing the ‘swamily’ by investing time with one another outside of the pool,” Potvin said.
At Saturday’s meet, first year, Jami Hepburn clocked in two individual wins as part of three top five finishes. She also swam the second leg of the team’s 200-yard medley relay, and later won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:10.66, while taking the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:35.69. Fellow teammate, first year Sofiya Gobora placed in the top three in all three of her individual swims as well as sophomore Katie Keating, who placed first in the 200-yard Butterfly.
Regardless of splitting the meet on Saturday, Potvin says the wins aren’t the priority for them right now.
“We want to win and we’re competitive as heck, but the team I think does a good job understanding it’s about controlling your performance in your lane,” Potvin said. “You must take care of your business first.”
The priority is the team, as Potvin simply puts it.
“We’re the priority. If we stay focused on ourselves and being the best that we can be – as racers and as teammates –wins will be a natural byproduct for the swamily,” he said.
Stonehill returns to the pool at noon on Saturday, October 23, with a back to back meet at Western New England University.
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