Falcons open the season vs. New Mexico, Oct. 9
10/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
With the top two distances swimmers in the conference returning, along with a solid and determined core throughout the lineup, the Air Force women's swimming team has set some goals that are both high and attainable. Last season, the Falcons posted a 7-8 dual meet record and a sixth-place finish in the conference.
After back-to-back sixth-place finishes, the Falcons have their sights set higher … in the top four!
The Falcons open the 2015-16 season with a home dual meet against the University of New Mexico on Friday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m. in the Cadet Natatorium.
"We are training with the goal of moving up in mind," head coach Casey Converse said. "It is a long season, we will see some ups and downs, but we have more leadership across all four classes than we have ever had in a while. I think in the long run, this is what will characterize a successful season for us. If the athletes prepare, stay focused and healthy, we can have the best season ever in our history. The athletes have made it a goal to be in the top four. That is what we are preparing for"
Converse took a few moments to answer some questions entering the 2015-16 season.
What are the strengths of this season's team?
"Sara Menke and Genevieve Miller, in the distance events, are the top two swimmers in the Mountain West. Maria Schroeder, Jenna Tasic, Elise Hart, Brianna Mount and Jinan Andrews also return as scorers from last year. This core of swimmers is off to a great start this fall. They were able to face the competition at the MWC meet successfully last year, so we bring a number of accomplished swimmers back to the meet. When we add in some talented freshmen like M.C. Pepper, Georgia Sims, Maddy Hoff and Emma Strom to the mix, we can have one of our best teams ever. It is a tough league. Every team in the Mountain West is well coached and has top swimmers. We are always at a bit of a disadvantage because of the time demands on our kids, but they rise to the occasion. We have had the three most successful seasons in our history the past three years, so our team now has legitimate expectations going into the conference championships.'
You have the top two distance swimmers in the conference … can you talk about both Sara and Genevieve and what they bring to the team, both in and out of the pool?
"Last season, when we started the conference meet by going 1-2 in the 500 free, it was a tremendous boost to everyone's confidence. Sara and Genevieve know they will be targeted by the rest of the swimmers in the MWC, and they prepare with that in mind. The distance group sets the standard for work ethic in practice as well. When those swimmers are leading the way in a workout it elevates everyone's practice session. We are really fortunate to have these two in the water together. The kind of work they are doing requires such grit---it is much more tolerable when someone is next to you. They feed off each other in practice and push each other. Neither one of them would have achieved what they have without the other as a training partner."
In addition to Menke and Miller, who else do see as key contributors to the team?
"Jenna Tasic is set to have her best season ever as a senior. She would like to break two minutes in the 200 fly and she trained so consistently over the summer that she is well ahead of where she was last fall. I think she is going to continue her trajectory of improvement that she started in her freshman year. We don't have anyone on the team who works harder and smarter than Jenna. Junior Emily D'Amato is in the same group as Jenna. Emily trains through almost continuous shoulder pain dating back to her high school years. She shows up every day ready for work. It has been such a joy to watch her succeed through her commitment to good old hard work. Leah Weber is a senior breaststroke swimmer. She is on our top times list in both the 100 and 200. We think she can have a breakthrough year this year. She knows we need her to be great on our medley relays. We have a couple of sleepers in Asia Antoniuk and Nina Santala, both are very talented athletes who have shown sparks of greatness in training, but have not yet had a breakthrough meet. Maria Schroeder and Elise Hart both set school records last year. We should see a nice sophomore bounce from each of them. The sophomores in general, if they stick together and do the work, will make a huge impact on the team over the next three years. Jinan Andrews just began to scratch the surface of what she is capable of last year. She swam over her head to help set our 800 freestyle relay record as a freshman. Brianna Mount is set to blow up also. Bri and Jinan have a chance to become the dynamic duo of our sprint group."
Who are some newcomers that you expect to contribute this season?
"M.C. Pepper and Elizabeth Brechbuel will add depth to the distance group. If they grab ahold of the D-group work ethic that has been established, and make it their own, we will continue to see Air Force swimmers scoring in the mile and the 500 at the MWC championships. Caitlin Meyers spent last year at the USAFA prep School where her training was hit or miss. She is tremendously strong in the dryland room and her sprint free is technically solid. She will be a great asset to the sprint group and will help us right away in duals. The MWC is a tough league for sprinters to break into, but Caitlin can do it. Maddy Hoff comes to us from the Bolles School in Florida. She is a terrific trainer and, like Caitlin, is tremendously strong on land. We see her helping us in the IM's and breaststrokes, but she is versatile so we will have to see where she develops the quickest. Georgia Sims may be the biggest surprise of the freshman class. She has impressed us already with her work ethic and desire to learn. She could be a big surprise in the IM's and breaststroke events. Emma Strom comes to us from Florida as well. Both her sister, Olivia, and brother, Alex, swam on the AFA team. A lot is going to fall on Emma's shoulders as a freshman---she will likely lead-off our medley relays immediately. Her underwater abilities are reminiscent of Samantha Laughlin who holds our school records in both backstrokes. We think Emma can break the 200 record as a freshman and score in the big final at the MWC. It is a tough mountain to climb, but she has done some amazing things already in practice this fall. And she is no stranger to tough competition, having won the Florida State Meet as a junior and placing second last year. She and Elise Hart will be a great 1-2 punch in backstroke events."
How you do replace Kim Davis (graduated) in terms of all the events she swam and here leadership?
"You don't replace an athlete like Kim Davis. She transformed our team in so many ways. The fact that she swam in "A" finals at the MWC all four years and achieved NCAA provisional cuts all four years, was more than remarkable. She helped our team across the board. On the other hand, when you graduate someone like Kim who is such a dominating athlete it forces both athletes and coaches to reevaluate almost everything from how our daily training is structured to dual meet line-ups and conference championship relays. The opportunity is here this year for us to re-tool how we do business in so many ways. People will step up in ways we did not expect. It is kind of exciting in a way."
