Swimmers make waves at national meet Midd finishes ninth with Ross '08 and Truex '05 winning national titles

Author: Sarah Polling Luehrman

Last weekend, Middlebury Swimming and Diving sent a small, elite team of women to the NCAA Division III Championships, where they placed ninth out of 53 teams attending for the second year in a row. The Panthers' strong performance at NCAA's was the culminating event in an amazingly successful season.

Senior captain Tessa Truex reflects on "great individual as well as team performances" as well as tremendous team unity throughout the winter. "Some people in the stands [at nationals] and from other teams actually commented on how much fun we looked like we were having and how much team spirit we embodied," says Truex. "It really just felt good to be recognized that way."

The team will miss its captains and other seniors who graduate in June, but the strength of the younger team members speaks for itself. Some of the most noteworthy swimmers on the squad still have three seasons ahead of them in fact, almost half of the national team was made up of first year swimmers.

Truex, NESCAC diver of the year and national diving champion, contributed incredible skill to her final season as a Middlebury diver. She won the NCAA event with 378.80 points. Truex has won almost every diving event she has participated in since the beginning of the season. Her skills have steadily improved since her strong performance last season.

The Panthers boasted not just one, but two national champions upon returning home from NCAA's. Marika Ross '08 came home as the NCAA champion in the 200yd fly event with her time of 2:02.25, setting a new school and NESCAC record. She also earned a second place win in the 400yd IM with a time of 4:29.57, another school record. Her time of 2:06.0 in the 200yd IM earned her All-American status.

Ross has had a truly phenomenal season she seemed to break a record every time she stepped onto the blocks. She has brought considerable recognition to the team as a first year, and will undoubtedly continue to do so throughout her Middlebury swimming career.

Sara Cowie '08, too, culminated an incredible first season of record breaking swimming with an All-American title in the 1,650m free. She placed fifth in the event with a time of 17:17.10, and 10th in the 500yd free with a time of 5:03.32.

In addition to many strong individual performances, both of Middlebury's relay teams finished in the top eight and attained All-American status. Ross, Barbara Van der Veer '07, Liz Rice '07 and Pam Chatikavanij '08 made up the 400yd free relay team, which came in fifth with a time of 3:31.75. The 800yd relay team of Cowie, Ross, Mollie Reed '06 and Katie Chambers '08 placed eighth with 7:46.14.

The results that Middlebury saw at the Division III championships reflected a season of hard training and a deep commitment to the team over the course of the entire campaign. The highlight of the season for many was the first NESCAC championship held in the Natatorium, for the team's graduating members, "the perfect way to finish up our swimming and diving careers," according to Truex. She specifically cites "the coaches, namely Lisa Gibbs my diving coach, Peter Solomon the swim coach and Norma Leduc, our assistant swim coach and team cheerleader" as the creators and leaders of an exceptional team. "They are well-respected and loved by everyone."