At the end of February, BW’s swimming and diving team completed its five-month-long season with record-breaking relays and races. Shortly afterwards, the swimmers moved on to preparing for the next season. 

This year’s team broke many school records and became an OAC Champion for women’s breaststroke, junior biology major Letia Reed said.  

Head coach Laura Demaline said she was extremely proud of everyone’s performances at this year’s championships.  

“Eighty-nine percent of our swims were lifetime best performances. Seven school records [were] broken. The same record [was] broken four times, [and we] broke relay records for the 400-meter and 800-meter relays,” said Demaline, who is in her 12th year as head coach. 

Demaline said she was also especially appreciative of this year’s senior class. After their freshman season in 2019-20, the world was shut down by Covid-19. The group stuck together, helped pull the program out of that struggle and was crucial in preparing this team to continue growing, Demaline said. 

One of the team’s record breakers, Tommie McQueary, a sophomore engineering major, described this year’s OAC Championships as great swims with “high energy.” 

Despite missing a few weeks earlier in the season with a shoulder injury, McQueary still broke records in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly. He also swam a leg in each of the record-breaking relays.   

“[In] the 200-meter butterfly, I broke the record in it last year and placed second. This year, just the whole season, I wanted to win that,” McQueary said. He also is tied for the record in the 100-meter butterfly, which he said was “bittersweet.” 

After the season concluded, most of the team took time off before beginning their out-of-season training. Reed offered insight into her off-season schedule and routine.   

“I took a week off of everything, and then I started lifting and plan to get back in the water soon. I focus on building strength and endurance and practice technique for next season,” Reed said. Reed’s diet consists primarily of veggies, beets and a high-carb intake to provide energy. She said that this diet remains consistent during the season as well.