By Emily Coughlin, Staff Writer
The St. Bonaventure University women’s swim team has been excelling in relays this season.
The Bonnies have the top relay teams in the Atlantic 10, holding the leading spots in three out of the five relay events.
Head coach Brian Thomas said that there is a lot that goes into picking relay teams, and the relays help to boost the team dynamic all around.
“We emphasize that you really don’t know who you will have on your relay,” said Thomas. “It can shift from meet to meet, so we really try to get everyone to buy into that mindset that getting asked to be in a relay is a pretty special thing.”
Being asked to be in a relay is a huge honor, and the swimmers often feel very special for being chosen.
“Being asked to be on relays is an honor that I take very seriously,” said Wardner.
Thomas said the relay teams are picked strategically and are a vital part of the women’s swim meets. Not only do they count for more points, but they encourage team spirit and help get the women excited.
“The swimmers have a really big impact on the relays, which are more points and specifically in conference meets where relays count as double points,” said Thomas.
Wardner said that there is more pressure on the relay teams because it counts for more points and takes a lot of skill, but she loves it because it requires more team work.
“Relays emphasize the feeling of being relied on by a team and strengthens the team feeling,” said Wardner.
Mia Cote highlighted how relays create an awesome feeling of togetherness, as well as more of a team effort in a sport that is, for the most part, individual.
“Relays are the best events,” said Cote. “There’s so much energy and excitement that comes with relays. These are the events that you’re solely doing it for your teammates. To me, relays are a big component of unity and teamwork.”
Even with the large team effort, to make relays successful it takes a lot of practice and hard work, said Wardner. She emphasized the importance of speed training and motivation from her coaches.
“We train for relays a lot by practicing relay pickups during practice,” said Wardner. “We work them into our workouts so we can get the training right.”
Cote said that relays are difficult and take a lot of strategy, but she always feels prepared because of the work they put in at practice and the support her teammates and coaches bring.
“We might not realize it, but every set we do prepares us for speed, endurance and pressure that comes with being on a relay.” said Cote. “During most workouts, we have multiple opportunities to work on our relay exchanges. Every effort counts because it helps perfect our timing.”
The Bonnies usually don’t practice solely for relays, but when practicing and perfecting individual races and strokes, the swimmers gain the endurance that is necessary in a relay race.
Cote said that the greatest part of the meet is when the team supports the first races, which are the relays. She said that they always get the team pumped up and create a great, competitive atmosphere.
“Every meet starts off with a relay, so we try to win that first race to set the tone for the meet,” said Cote. “It’s always fun to win that first relay, but whatever place we come in, we accept it and get ready for our next race.”
The women’s swim team will next be seen Nov. 29 at the Winter National Championships in Columbus, Ohio.
