The Virginia swimming program faces ACC rival Duke in their home pool tomorrow in what will be its first conference dual meet of the season.
Both the Cavalier men (1-0) and women (1-0) have much reason to feel confident in their chances against the Blue Devils.
Last year, an outstanding Virginia men's swimming team (8-2, 5-0 ACC) completed its season with their fourth-consecutive first-place finish at the ACC Championships and a national 11th-place finish at the NCAA Tournament, the highest placement in school history.
This season, 22 letter winners return for the men, including eight All-Americans. Additionally, the Cavaliers add depth with a solid recruiting class. With such ample talent, the men have set their sights on an undefeated dual meet season and a top-10 finish at the NCAA tourney.
"We go into practice knowing that if we don't push each other to go beyond what we did last year, we will not reach our goals," All-American junior Luke Anderson said. "While past Virginia teams have focused on hard work and pride, we have added to that list ruthlessness and an uncompromising desire for victory."
Last season, the women's squad (9-1, 4-1) finished second at the ACC Championship and boasted an impressive showing at the NCAAs, securing 12th place, the fourth consecutive year the program placed in the top 12 teams.
Among the women's 19 returning letter winners are seven All Americans. A highly touted recruiting class joins the squad.
"Hands down, we want to win an ACC championship and finish in the top 10 at NCAAs," sophomore Andrea Georoff said. "That has always been the team's focus and it hasn't changed this year. Across the board, the women's team has much more depth and a lot of talented, hard-working individuals."
The Cavaliers returned to action last Saturday at the Aquatic & Fitness Center against South Carolina, another premiere team who handed the Cavalier men one of only two dual-meet losses in the 2001-2002 competition. Scheduling such tough competition in the season opener highlighted the aggressive and demanding approach of Virginia Coach Mark Bernardino in his 26th year at the helm of the program.
Both of Bernardino's squads proved up to the challenge. The Virginia men bested the Gamecocks, 129-109, while the women defeated the visitors, 131-107. Among the most impressive performances, freshman Francis Crippen set the AFC pool record in the 1000 free and was a mere 41 hundredths of a second shy of the school and conference record. He also won the 500 free. Crippen received ACC Player of the Week accolades for his showing. It was the type of contribution both teams hope to receive from their newest members.
Crippen said Virginia's work ethic sealed his decision to join the Cavalier squad.
"I chose U.Va. because I felt that the swimming program best fit my style. I knew that this program was built on hard work and determination and that is what I wanted to be apart of."
The Cavaliers face the Blue Devils tomorrow in what should prove to be a far less strenuous task than that posed by South Carolina. The Blue Devils arrive in Charlottesville after their season opener against East Carolina. Duke's men fell to ECU while the women squeaked by the Pirates, 123-120.
"USC was a tough season opener for the team as a whole," Georoff acknowledged. "I think having wasted no time in challenging ourselves by swimming against such a good team will prove to help us against Duke this weekend."
Anderson concurred.
"We go in to meets like Duke looking to post fast times rather than have intense racing and competition. It's generally a less focused, more fun-oriented meet," he said.
The Cavaliers dive in to ACC competition tomorrow at 1 p.m.
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