Swim team hosts first meet since COVID-19

By: Abigail Slaughter

Staff Writer

The cheers of the UMW Eagles’ swim team echoed through the natatorium in Goolrick Hall. As the swimmers gathered in their usual circle and screamed, the other teams stood awkwardly along the edges of the pool. Ingrid Dizon, a senior mathematics major and swimmer, helped lead the team’s deafening and energetic routine team cheer that’s done just before each meet. 

“It’s really nice to get everybody together and [cheer], especially at the first home meet and the only home meet of the semester,” said Dizon.

Not only did the UMW men’s and women’s swim team energize their fellow teammates, they also blew the competition out of the water..

The UMW Swim Team’s record is now 2-1 after securing the win during the Oct. 22 home opener against Southern Virginia University and Marymount University. The women’s team defeated Southern Virginia 218-43 and Marymount 221-39, and the men’s team defeated Southern Virginia 165.5-95.5 and Marymount 219-32. 

Ellis Winfree, a junior psychology major, closed out one of the winning heats of the men’s 200-yard medley relay with a time of 21.16 seconds in the freestyle portion. Specializing in freestyle, sprint and butterfly, Winfree helped kick off the meet with a close finish with Southern Virginia University.

“It’s a good start off to the rest of the meet, so [I’m] looking forward to a good meet today,” said Winfree. “We have three teams here instead of two, so you get to see a whole bunch of different swims from everybody.” 

Aidan Deege, a junior business administration major, swam right before Winfree in the second leg of the winning heat of the 200-yard medley relay. He specializes in mid-distance races–such as 200 Yard races– and breaststroke, helping to set the team up early on in the meet for a win against Southern Virginia and Marymount.

“That was actually my first opportunity to be able to get that position on the team, and I’m really happy with how it turned out today,” said Deege. “I just think the bigger the crowd you have, the more opportunity you have to prove where you are amongst them.” He said there was a significant turnout because there were three teams competing instead of two. 

There were many other notable wins that night, with freshmen dominating in several different races. Freshman Ashley Dyer won the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 10:59.39, and freshman Phoebe Root won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:01.76. Another notable win was senior biology major Sydney Hall with a time of 24.97 in the 50-yard freestyle, just under her personal best time of 24.57 seconds.

Dizon specializes in butterfly and individual medley races and swam 1:04.09 in the 100-yard butterfly and 27.36 seconds in the butterfly portion of the 200-yard medley relay. She also competed in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard freestyle relay that day.

Alongside Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach Justin Anderson, Assistant Coach Ryan Sullivan helped prepare the team for the beginning of the season.

“We started off the season with a lot of time stuff in practice to get them thinking, ‘We’re back. We’re going fast,’ right away,” said Sullivan. “We told them last year, ‘We’re going to hit the ground running, so be ready.’”

The UMW Swimming Instagram account posted that their Oct. 16 meet at Washington and Lee University was the team’s first swim meet in 609 days, with the team halting regular competition in the spring 2020 semester due to previous COVID-19 guidelines preventing indoor competition. After witnessing the team’s training and development through the beginning of the pandemic, Sullivan said the team was “ecstatic to get back into the water.”

“It’s really nice to have a season after last year,” said Dizon. It is Dizon’s last season as a UMW eagle and member of the women’s swim team. Since there will only be two home meets in the spring, she wants to make this year count.

“It’s awesome [to be back]. My mom is getting to see me swim after two years,” said Deege, when asked how it feels to be back from a year and a half hiatus. He went on to win his heat in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:00.92 and placed fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:23.32.

The UMW Eagles will compete again on Oct. 30 against Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets.