11

SPORTS

The Norwich Guidon
April 8, 2004

Norwich swim team finishes season posting records at Goodyear Pool

By Justin Fitzgerald
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

A number of Norwich students have been giving their best efforts, and are representing the university in a very positive light, but most students have not heard much about their accomplishments.

Both newcomers and returning members of the swimming and diving teams expended a great deal of time and energy at every practice and competition that they attended.

“The swim season went really well,” said Swim Team Captain John Moore, 21, a junior Studies in War and Peace major from Malone, NY. “We started off with a lot of fresh people, a lot of people who have never swum before. We took a lot of time and energy to get them to a level where they could compete.”

The season had its ups and downs, according to Katie Witryk, 18, a freshman criminal justice major from Poughkeepsie, NY. But, overall, the season was respectable. Many team members broke both personal and school records.

“We had several relays broken. The 400 freestyle relay, we broke the school record. We broke the school record in the 200 medley relay, and Matt Zilinski got the 100 yard freestyle record, and I got the 50 yard butterfly record,” Moore said. “My time in the 50 butterfly was a 24.19, and the old time was a 24.35.”

The season was a great learning experience, according to Wesley Black, 18, a freshman criminal justice major from Lexington, Mass. He also added that he had never been a diver, but he joined the team in November and began competing in February.

“I broke the 100 freestyle record at school, and it was a 21 year old record, and then I also broke the pool record at Bentley, at the championship for the 200 freestyle,” said Matthew Zilinski, 20, a sophomore criminal justice major from Middletown, NJ. "[For the 100 yard freestyle] there was a 48.87, and I went a 48.76. So I took the record from Palmer Lewis; it was a record from 1983.”

The team members worked together to break relay records, as well.

“The 400 freestyle relay was myself, Justin Chapman, Matt Zilinski, and Colt Brum,” Moore said. “The 200 medley relay was Chris Eckerson, Justin Chapman, myself, and Matt Zilinski.”

Also, a diving record was broken this season by Katie Witryk.

“I broke the school record for voluntary dives,” Witryk said. “There are two different categories for diving. They are voluntaries and optionals. Voluntaries are the easier dives, and optionals are the harder dives. I broke the voluntary record. I broke it with a 190.28.”

People often mistake divers and swimmers for the same thing, when, in fact, they are different.

“I’m not a swimmer. I’m a diver,” Witryk said. “It’s a completely different sport; for swimming, there’s laps and there is technical stuff to it, but there is a lot more technical stuff you have to consider with diving.”

The team had a great season and finished fifth in the New Englands for their second year in a row, according to Moore.

“It was an immense growing season. We took a lot of people who had never swum before and turned them into swimmers.”

It was a very positive and fun season, according to Black.

“We are definitely in a position to do really well next year.”

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.