The H20 Frogs prepare for their sixth swim meet in three weeks as they take on the San Diego State Aztecs and Centenary Ladies on Saturday at the University Recreation Center Pool.Both the men’s and women’s teams will face the Aztecs, while the women’s team will have the added competition of Centenary’s squad, head coach Richard Sybesma said.
Since Oct. 25, the teams have had five meets.
“It’s been a pretty tough fall with back-to-back meets,” Sybesma said. “It helps to prepare us for the conference meet where we will have a three-day meet.”
After last weekend’s meet against the Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls, one swimmer and one diver earned Mountain West Conference honors.
Freshman Jennifer Ferguson earned Mountain West Conference Women’s Diver of the Week honors while junior Scott McCracken took the Men’s Swimmer of the Week award.
“We were really pleased with Scott (McCracken) and Jennifer (Ferguson),” Sybesma said. “Jonathon Berrettini, Guillermo Ramierez, Alejandro Gomez and Yousif Del Valle have also been our true points leaders this season.”
Sybesma said senior sprinter Erica Tate and junior breaststroke swimmer Maribeth Pottenger will lead the women’s team.
“Pottenger is doing great and approaching some lifetime best times this fall,” Sybesma said.
Centenary’s team is still in its early stages of development as they are in their fourth year, Sybesma said.
“They (Centenary) will give us some good challenges in the races, but, overall as a team, we are stronger,” Sybesma said.
The H20 Frogs’ relay teams have improved from where they were at this point last season, McCracken said.
“If we keep it up, we should be in the running for the top three at conference,” McCracken said.
McCracken said another difference between this year’s squad and the H20 Frogs of 2005-2006 is the improved attitudes of the swimmers.
“I think everyone this season is doing a good job, and we are behind each other a lot more,” McCracken said. “There is a lot more morale this year than last.”
Following Saturday’s meet, the team will have nearly a month to prepare for the UNLV Invitational meet Dec. 16-18.
“The month off will help us out and give us time to train and get better prepared,” Pottenger said.
Sybesma said the month of training will give more time to see how the team will be placed along side the UNLV Rebels when the conference championship meet begins in February.
The lack of meets approaching final exams will also be to the swimmers’ advantage, Sybesma said.
“We’ll race after finals,” Sybesma said. “We’ll be ready to work off some of the finals’ stress.
