Following the Christmas holiday, the swimming and diving regrouped for training as they prepare for their stretch run which includes the Southeastern Conference Championships and the NCAA Championships the Feb. and March. The men and the women spent some time prior to their Jan 3 meet against Clemson training in beautiful Ft. Pierce, Fla. It was a tremendous time to hone their skills for the upcoming months and to regroup as a team.
Two UK swimmers, senior and freshman , chronicled their experiences over the trip in this latest addition of Kentucky student-athlete diaries.
As a senior going into training trip, I knew for the most part what to expect. I understood the training hours and the time spent in the pool was going to be rigorous and very challenging. On the other end, I know the benefit and the successes that we’ve had as a team because of the hours spent training going into the most pivotal part of the season. This training in Florida is a very pivotal part of our success at the end of the season. We have had a tremendous year so far. We?ve had the greatest start since I have been on the team and we are truly going to be amazing at Conference (SEC Championships).
A great aspect about getting away and training in the beautiful climate of Florida is the change of venue. It is great to be outside and getting a glorious tan while busting your butt in the water. We now have something physical to show from workouts.
Twice a day everyday in the water for two hours each time seems like a lot, but at the end of that day you feel this high. A high that can not really be described, just shared with your teammates who just endured the same experience of working towards the goal at the end of the season. A goal that is going to put UK swimming even more on the map than it already is. We are going to have more people at NCAA’s this year than even before. I can make that statement with nothing but confidence because I have seen and observed what we have trained for and what we as a team are capable of. I am so proud to be a part of this group of amazing not only athletes but people. To be a senior ready to graduate, I have to say it has been a pleasure competing with these fine individuals. Watch us, we are going to go out in stellar fashion!
UK SWIMMING……
Joanna McLean
Even on the day we traveled to Ft. Pierce we had morning practice before our flight, and as soon as we got there we had another two hour practice. But a training trip in the sun was motivation enough to allow the whole team to practice hard and have a great time doing it. For the duration of the trip we lived in the PGA village, in houses consisting of four people. It was a great location and it even had a nice pool and Jacuzzi for relaxing in the sun when we weren?t practicing at the Indian River College facility.
We spent New Year’s Eve as a team. My favorite part of the evening was the freshman dinner. Somehow I managed to persuade the freshman girls to cook dinner for the freshman guys! I love you guys! New Year’s Day was my favorite part of the trip because we got to go surfing at the beach. The day at the beach was awesome. It consisted of surfing, laying out in the sun and even a small game of beach football. What a way to spend New Years Day! The next day we had double practice again, and it was our last full day in Florida. January 3rd we had a tri-meet with Clemson and Indian River. It also happened to be the only day the sun decided not to feature. Despite this, the whole team managed to step up and race fast. Both the men?s and women?s teams won. We all got on the bus to the airport knowing we had had an enjoyable successful trip. We traveled back to Lexington for more hard work and more preparation for the SEC Championships.
James Batley
