Knight Swimming
St. Michael's College swim team is ready to dive into another season

Justin Miller | staff writer
jmiller2@smcvt.edu

The St. Michael’s College men’s swim team will begin practicing for a highly anticipated 2007-2008 season on Oct. 3.  Coaches and swimmers are excited about the possibilities and challenges this season brings.

Having a successful season

Head coach Jim Donoghue’s keys to success for the new season might be surprising for some.  Donoghue says he has always been very self-critical before calling out others and takes the success of his team very personally. 

“If we don’t do well, I blame myself, it’s my fault,” Donoghue says.  “I tend to beat myself up.”

Head Coach Jim Donoghue surveys swim practice. Alex McIntire, photo

He also sets himself apart from many coaches by resisting the “screaming-yeller” type attitude that many coaches show during practices and meets, he says.

"I empower people to feel that they can accomplish anything they want to,” Donoghue says.  “I can be a yeller, but that’s only when people say ‘I can’t.'”

Senior captain Mike Kaas says the attitude of this year’s team will be as optimistic as it was last season.  He feels that the St. Michael's swim team sets itself apart from other teams in the conference with its team unity.

“When we are at meets, we cheer loud for each other, and I think we have more team spirit than a lot of the other teams,” Kaas says. 

One of the big moments every season for the entire St. Michael’s swim squad is the annual trip to Florida during winter break.  While this time is balanced between both leisure activities and training, it is an extremely intense and challenging sequence of days for every member of the team. A swimmer can swim up to 15,000 yards per day during this training, Donoghue says.

“The price of the trip is very expensive; this year’s estimate is approximately $850 for the week for each student," Donoghue says.  "However, most of the squad does choose to go." 

Whatever the talent level on this team proves to be as the season progresses, Donoghue is relentless in his unconditional belief in each athlete, he says.  Four to five first-years will turn out for the team and Donoghue will focus carefully on how best to incorporate these new additions to the team.  Overall, the swim team will be in pretty good shape, Donoghue says.

Seeking improvement

While Donoghue says that last year’s team was not the most talented one he has coached, he cites it as one which values the “team concept” better than any group of swimmers he has ever worked with. 

“Last season was definitely successful in many regards,” Donoghue says.   

Senior captain Mike Kaas comes up from air after a lap. Alex McIntire, photo

The first step for this season's close-knit team is to set challenging goals. 

“We need to set goals that are realistic, put together a plan in the pool and dry land,” Donoghue says.  “Along with that, most everyone will also develop their own individual goals.”

Sophomore Erick Gallagher already has some goals in mind that he wants to accomplish.  Currently holding the record in the 50-meter butterfly event, Gallagher has every intention of setting the bar high. 

“I want to break my butterfly record from last season, and just beat my old times,” Gallagher says.  “I hope we can make up for the seniors we lost last year and do the best we can overall."

Kaas believes last season was successful and that the team did better than most had expected. Being a school record holder as well, Kaas wants the team to pick up where it left off.

“We lost some guys to graduation, but we brought in a bunch of good guys, and as of right now, it looks like we’re going to be pretty well set,” Kaas says.  “I think a good first goal is to try to beat Norwich (University).” 

The meet against Norwich University is the first meet of the season, an exhibition which takes place at the University of Vermont.

           
Returning for another year

The team will be asking a lot of its returning swimmers and new additions to help fill the void left by the 2007 graduates.  Although, Donoghue is not willing to say that this year’s team will completely fill the holes left by the absence of three swimmers, he does not dismiss it as a possibility. 

“Talk to me in two weeks, Donoghue says.  "Then I can tell you if the holes have been filled."

St. Michael's swim team's first practice of the year on Oct. 1. Alex McIntire, photo

First-year Gene Taylor from Ocean City High School in Ocean City, N.J. is ready for the season to start.  Taylor is at the pool in Ross Sports Center already, preparing himself for his first college swimming experience.  Taylor, who specializes in freestyle and breast-stroke says that the intensity of his high school team has prepared him for the competition he is going to see at this next level of his career. 

“I think the practice intensity will probably be close to the same, but the level of competition will be different,” Taylor says.  “I just want to improve my times from high school and improve the team’s meet record.”