This past weekend the Swim Team traveled to the Carthage invitational in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The bus ride was long, but luckily we had a wide selection of videos to watch on the way.  This was also the first time we stayed two nights in a hotel.  Long bus rides plus overnight stays always leads to team bonding, and as a product, a new tradition has possibly started.  Two upperclassmen, who will remain unnamed, covered themselves in shaving cream and chased some freshmen around their rooms.  The results were messy, but everything was in good humor…and cleaned up.  There is always a need for fun to lighten up the mood of a serious meet.

During the meet, there was a preliminary session in the morning followed by a finals session in the evening for both days of the meet.  We performed very well both Friday and Saturday morning. Almost everyone had a season best time, and there were many personal best times too. However, we seemed to struggle in the evening sessions. The conditions of the pool were poor, and we were tired.  Due to malfunctions, the air filtration system was not filtering the chlorine filled air, resulting in difficulty breathing.  I have just gotten over cold like symptoms that I believe were brought upon by the air quality.  Everyone was ready to head home to Crawfordsville after the Saturday finals.

All in all, we had a great meet.  We showed improvement as a team and in individual events.  This meet was another stepping stone to see where we are and what we need to work on to perform at our absolute best at the Conference meet.  With another meet under our belts and new goals, we continue training.  Over holiday break we will travel to Deerfield Beach, Florida on our annual training trip, which should be beneficial and fun.

-Logan Falley '12