The Week that Was: Winter Break Edition
1/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Jan. 7, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - It has been a busy time for the Alabama swimming and diving teams. The swimmers, after a strong showing at the USA Short Course National Championships, hit the books for exams and then took off for Boca Raton, Fla. and the Crimson Tide's annual Christmas Training Camp. Then, after a short break to spend time with family and friends over the holidays, the swimmers returned to campus just before the New Year for a two-week training camp in the friendly confines of the Alabama Aquatic Center.
"We had a good training trip down in Boca Raton, Fla. ," head coach Eric McIlquham said. "We had excellent weather the entire time we were there which is always nice. The temperatures were in the high 70s and low 80s the whole way. It was a great opportunity to get in there for six-plus hours a day of training and then we let them go home over the Christmas break, bringing them back just before the New Year for a two-week training camp here in Tuscaloosa. It was really productive and now we're getting classes started and the beginning of a new semester."
Alabama's swimmers and divers are in the stretch run of the regular season with the conference championships coming in about a month and a half.
"Right now, we're solidifying our conference team, those athletes that we'll take with us down to Auburn for the Southeastern Conference Championships," head coach Eric McIlquham said. "It's an exciting time right now and the kids are doing a very nice job and I am happy with our progress and where we're going and our focus."
Alabama's diving contingent sandwiched the holidays between two competitions designed to help familiarize them with postseason championship facilities. Before the holidays the divers made their way to Auburn, site of the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championships. Immediately following the start of the New Year, the Tide divers traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., site of this year's NCAA Zone B Championships, to test the boards.
"Our divers continue to do a great job," McIlquham said. "Before Christmas, freshman Carrie Dragland went down to Auburn and swept all three boards, posting season-best scores and doing a really nice job. And this past weekend, junior Aaron Fleshner put up some great scores in Knoxville, beating a big field that included several All-Americans, so he's getting primed for championship season."
The swimmers and divers return to action Saturday, Jan. 17 at Kentucky.
"We're getting ready," McIlquham said. "We are six weeks to the day from the start of our conference championship meet, so we're in the process of picking our group and making sure that we are ready to roll. We've got Kentucky up next, and that will be a good, tough SEC battle."
Players Mentioned
