Jan. 8, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –
The Vanderbilt swim team opens SEC action this Friday at 1 p.m. against the Kentucky Wildcats. Saturday Vandy begins its last home meet of the season against the Arkansas Razorbacks at 11 a.m.
After a rejuvenating training trip in Puerto Rico, the Commodores are prepared for the challenges awaiting in SEC competition. But coach Organ is confident in his Commodore contingent, a team that has already broken three school records in the first half of the season alone.
“The training trip gives us a chance to spend a lot of time together as a team, form stronger bonds with everyone and get prepared for the final push to the end of the season. Every meet is an opportunity compete and to improve from the last performance, so it doesn’t matter who is in the lane next to us, we just have to be ready.”
However on Saturday the team has more to swim for than a conference win against the Razorbacks, or the hopes of setting a school record. Make sure you are in the stands early as Vanderbilt will be honoring its senior swimmers, Elly Faulkner, Alexis Mayhall, Chrissy Oberg, Caroline Thomas, and Lauren Torres, at 10:45 a.m., a strong class that in the words of coach Jeremy Organ, “excel in the class and in the pool”.
Faulkner and Oberg both own a combined six individual Vanderbilt records, five of which were set during the team’s prolific 2014 campaign. Additionally, Thomas and Torres joined the record books last season as a members of the 200 free relay team and 800 free relay team respectively.
“The seniors are strong leaders who have led by example and who all are going to go on and become extremely successful in whatever challenge comes next in their lives”.
While this weekend may play host to the last two home meets for our five seniors, their season is far from over with a tri-meet at SEC East foe, South Carolina, and the SEC Championships in Auburn around the bend.