2010 Women's NESCAC Meet

[LordJeffFree]

I'm just getting a chance to look at these results in detail now since I actually had my own championship swim meet this past weekend, but it appears that most events went as expected. Williams won fewer individual events than I expected as many of the toss up events went to other people. Their team was still completely dominant throughout the meet.

Highlights:
Emily Swett breaking out with 57.4, 202.5 in the 100 and 200 backstroke, respectively. Swett and Stern are actually the only ones guaranteed to make the meet for Amherst at this point.

Great race between Stern and Wilson in the 500. Looks like both are set for a great meet at NCAAs.

Impressive 4IM and 2 fly for Williams. Amazing to have a freshman girl win the 200 fly when your team has two sophomores who 1-2ed NCAAs the year before in the event (I realize Todhunter was probably not tapered for this meet, still very impressive).

Great 800 free relay by Middlebury. I was completely surprised by that one.

Williams should be in the running for 3rd or 4th place at NCAAs. I don't know too much about the exact standings, but I would think that Emory and Kenyon will beat them and they will be fighting it out with Denison.

[Cadillac Jack]

A few observations from Maine - Colby swam very well, far better than they looked in the dual meet season, repeated last year's 5th place finish. They look like they belong as a regular fixture in the top 5. Bates had a good but maybe not great meet. 7th place overall is higher than in recent years. they will need a strong incoming class and divers to continue their upward climb. Katelyn Drake, a lacrosse recruit and walk on swimmer as 4 year high point winner is a great story. Bowdoin was noticeably flat - most swimmers just met their seed time. They crushed Colby in the dual meet. I wonder if some will question their non-traditional training approach. Guys teams get energized when their women do well, I imagine the Bowdoin men are a little nervous now.
At any rate, it''s nice to see that the teams are no longer clustered in the bottom of the standings...

[Colbybr]

Pretty psyched to see my alma mater lay it down on Bates and Bowdoin. I hope its a preview of the men's meet.

[polarbear]

Bowdoin had 3 confirmed cases of mono at the meet, which definitely didnt help, but I will say that some of the healthy people were off in a couple of swims -- for instance, Allen Garner had a great meet but her split in the 800 relay was awfully slow for someone who went 1:54 last year. Jessie Small had a great meet with 2 finals swims and a consoles win in the 200 Breast. Losing Allison Palmer (24.5, 52.5 without a tech suit last year) made a huge difference.

I actually thought that Bates took a step back -- definitely not as fast as last year, and some time gains from the year before. They had talent there that Cesares uncovered last year, but I thought Drake and Tato, at least would be faster.

I actually still expect the Bowdoin men to swim really well, but more the frontline ones than the back end.

[LordJeffFree]

I would agree about the analysis of Bates overall. With Drake and Green, NCAA qualifiers from the year before, returning, I thought they might have a few B cut relays (chances in both medleys and 8 free).

One curious decision was that they chose to make their 800 free relay their weakest by not including those two swimmers when that was by far their best relay from the year before (5th place, 7:48, B Cut) and they didn't lose anyone from it. Instead they swam a 200 free relay where they had little chance for a B cut and ended up in 7th place there.

[Colbybr]

Bowdoin had 3 confirmed cases of mono at the meet, which definitely didnt help, but I will say that some of the healthy people were off in a couple of swims -- for instance, Allen Garner had a great meet but her split in the 800 relay was awfully slow for someone who went 1:54 last year. Jessie Small had a great meet with 2 finals swims and a consoles win in the 200 Breast. Losing Allison Palmer (24.5, 52.5 without a tech suit last year) made a huge difference.

I actually thought that Bates took a step back -- definitely not as fast as last year, and some time gains from the year before. They had talent there that Cesares uncovered last year, but I thought Drake and Tato, at least would be faster.

I actually still expect the Bowdoin men to swim really well, but more the frontline ones than the back end.

Am I allowed to give you a hard time about the excuse-making for Bowdoin?

I guess I'll bite my tongue until after the men's meet.

[polarbear]

Bowdoin had 3 confirmed cases of mono at the meet, which definitely didnt help, but I will say that some of the healthy people were off in a couple of swims -- for instance, Allen Garner had a great meet but her split in the 800 relay was awfully slow for someone who went 1:54 last year. Jessie Small had a great meet with 2 finals swims and a consoles win in the 200 Breast. Losing Allison Palmer (24.5, 52.5 without a tech suit last year) made a huge difference.

I actually thought that Bates took a step back -- definitely not as fast as last year, and some time gains from the year before. They had talent there that Cesares uncovered last year, but I thought Drake and Tato, at least would be faster.

I actually still expect the Bowdoin men to swim really well, but more the frontline ones than the back end.

Am I allowed to give you a hard time about the excuse-making for Bowdoin?

I guess I'll bite my tongue until after the men's meet.

No, I would go for it. Its a calculated risk but I would run with it while you can. You never know whats going to happen this weekend.

And I am tired of being their apologist.