Preview: Polar Bear Women's Swimming & Diving team is gunning for its sixth straight OAC title in 2013-14
By Tim Glon
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's swimming and diving is looking for its sixth consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Championships crown and its seventh in the last 10 seasons in 2013-14.
The Polar Bears, under 10th-year head coach Peggy Ewald, welcome back 13 letter winners from last year's OAC Championship squad.
The Polar Bear swimming and diving alumni have created a "Decade of Excellence" slogan as a way to celebrate the past successes of the program, and tenth-year head coach Peggy Ewald is embracing that rallying cry as a collective team effort.
"The results over the past nine seasons have been a collective achievement by the men and women who committed to our program goals," Ewald said. "The talent level continues to climb, however the balance truly comes from the combination of talent, hard work, passion and the respect for 'team'. If we continue to broaden our landscape and prepare with focus the outcome will equal our best performances."
Add to the mix an outstanding incoming freshman class and it's easy to see why optimism abounds entering the 2013-14 season.
"Our women's team overall has great balance," Ewald said. "They are asking more of themselves. They have attained great focus in the classroom and want to bring that same focus in the pool.
"We have some repositioning to do, a few gaps to close, but the women have proven to be resourceful and willing to step up when needed. Repeating as champions gets tougher each season. It's a clean slate each year, forcing us to confront challenges head-on and overcome any roadblock in our way."
Senior Lindsey Rayhill is the most decorated of a strong senior class, posting 13 OAC championships in her career.
She won her third consecutive title in the 200 fly, shattering her own OAC and ONU record and besting the NCAA "B" Cut with an effort of 2:06.97.
She also won her third straight 100 fly crown in an OAC and ONU record and NCAA "B" Cut :57.11 and finished the meet with six OAC titles as she was part of ONU's winning 400 free, 800 free, 200 medley and 400 medley relay teams.
Seniors Rachael Aufdenkampe, Jamie Garbash, Jennifer Hartsel, Lauren Poll also return to join Rayhill as leaders of the squad.
Garbash and Hartsel are both 2-time All-OAC performers as part of ONU's 200 and 400 medley relay teams and Hartsel is also a two-time All-OAC honoree in the breaststroke events.
Aufdenkampe and Poll are both solid OAC-caliber swimmers and have combined to score 80 team points in their careers.
Four junior letterwinners return, led by 400 I.M. OAC Champion Taylor McCabe.
McCabe also earned All-OAC honors in the 200 I.M. and the 200 breast.
Erin Adkins, Katherine Lorson and Ashley Zoeller have scored 157 Championships points in the last two years.
The sophomore class of Abigail Barlage, Cassandra Hacker, Lindsey Inkrott and Allison Lohnes are also key components of the Polar Bears squad this winter.
Inkrott is a five-time OAC Champion, sweeping the 100 and 200 back titles last year and swimming on three winning relay teams.
Lohnes joined the squad mid-season and was on the OAC Champion 200 free relay team and earned All-OAC honors in the 200 back.
A strong class of eight incoming freshmen will also contribute right away.
"The OAC has been changing in positive ways," Ewald said. "I look for each of the OAC swimming schools to have bigger and better teams this season. The competition level will increase an outcome goal that will undoubtedly move the conference forward.
"Both of our men's and women's teams will need to seize every opportunity to improve both in and out of the water. We will pursue meeting our goals by deliberate practice and paying close attention every day to the way we prepare and attend to the details."