The Minnesota womenâÄôs swimming team has proven something during the 2008-09 season âÄî no school record is safe. The No. 9 Gophers are at 14 and counting as they prepare to host No. 17 Wisconsin, Purdue and Illinois this weekend at the University Aquatic Center for the Quad Duals, but co-head coach Terry Nieszner says theyâÄôre not satisfied. âÄúOne of the teamâÄôs goals this year is to break every [school] record,âÄù she said. TheyâÄôre getting awfully close. Starting at 6 p.m. tonight, the currently unbroken records âÄî which include the 100-yard backstroke, the 400-yard individual medley, the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays and the 400-yard medley relay âÄî might not want to get too comfortable. Though Nieszner said the athletes are still fatigued from their winter training trip to Kona, Hawaii, she doesnâÄôt expect any sort of letdown. âÄúComplacency is definitely not [a word] I would use with this group at all,âÄù she said. Let the records continue to fall.
Men host Wisc. and Purdue
The Minnesota menâÄôs swimming team enjoys a weekend in Minneapolis as well after a grueling Hawaiian training trip of its own. The 9th-ranked Gophers host Wisconsin and Purdue for the Big Ten Triple Duals tonight and tomorrow at the University Aquatic Center. Despite the fact that Minnesota won both, head coach Dennis Dale is hoping for better performances than it posted in its recent duals against Hawaii and Washington. But he doesnâÄôt expect it to be a problem. âÄúThe training level, in both intensity and volume, drops a notch when you get back [from a training trip] and hopefully that will have a positive impact on their meet performances,âÄù he said of his swimmers. Junior Alex Wold is happy to get a look at Big Ten competition with the conference championship looming, but wishes the Gophers had a chance to swim against all Big Ten teams during the regular season. âÄúItâÄôs a little unfortunate that we donâÄôt swim against all of them,âÄù he said, âÄúbecause you get a feeling of where other teamsâÄô strong points are, where their weaknesses are, and how you compare against them.âÄù
