Bonnies Swim & Dive Looking To Utilize Season's Worth of Preparation for A-10 Championships

There is an adage often used in athletics to “always give 110 percent.” For collegiate swimming, it can be a little less simple than that.  

Despite having 10 total meets throughout the year with the season beginning officially in September, the St. Bonaventure men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are always putting the emphasis on building toward two meets each year.  

First, November features a midseason championship. This year was the Bonnies’ second straight competing in the Magnus Cup, hosted by Cleveland State and featuring a full field of programs.

The second meet is the last scheduled event of the season, the Atlantic 10 Championships, the dates circled on the calendar from the start of practices.

While not uncommon for college programs to prioritize a conference championship, swimming emphasizes thriving on the biggest stage. Outside of these two pivotal events, the teams’ schedules are made up entirely of dual and tri-meets.  

“We start practice the first day of classes in the fall. The entire year, we build up toward A-10s at the end of February,” said Katie Lyons, a senior breaststroke swimmer and native of Hilton Head Island, S.C.

While the work is spread across a long season, student-athletes rarely get the chance to recover back to full strength. Katie Beyer, a senior freestyle and backstroke specialist from Warren, Pa., says conditioning has always been a part of her swimming career. 

“In high school, we would have meets on Mondays and Thursdays, so you can’t really have an ‘easy practice’ two days a week,” Beyer said. “I just have to train through the soreness. It can hinder your ability a little when you’re swimming tired.” 

“It can get discouraging because there’s dual meets where you want to give 100 percent, but all you have is 60 percent in the tank,” Lyons says. “But ultimately, that’s what we need to be our best in those big competitions.”  

Senior diver Ben O’Neill, hailing from Royal Oak, Mich., said diving preparation can be similar.  

“There’s a lot of hidden strategy behind it. If I were to compare it to football, it’s like scouting other football players,” O’Neill said. “‘Hey, he’s really good. We’re going to double team this guy.’ But with swim, if someone is good at an event, they may not swim it until those meets. With diving, it’s more about hiding certain tricks that might help me compete better.” 

O’Neill looks to capitalize off a remarkable season last year, where he finished second in the 1-meter dive at the Atlantic 10 Championships meet, his second straight season capturing silver at the meet. 

“I’m super excited just because I know it’s my last one. I feel like in the past, I would show up when there was more pressure,” he said. “I think I’ve been putting a lot more [pressure] on myself because I know the competition is going to be tough, but I’m mostly excited.” 

Lyons and Beyer both anticipate development for the women’s team after last season. 

“I think we’re going to swim really well,” Beyer said. “We’ve been working really hard and I think it’s going to pay off in a big way for us.”  

The programs seek to lead into A-10s following their success in the Magnus Cup, where the men’s team finished second among six participants, and the women’s team placed fifth out of nine programs. 

 “As seniors, we’re looking to capitalize in our final year, and we’ll be in our best shape when the time comes," Lyons said.

The Atlantic 10 Championships are set for Feb. 18-21 in Hampton, Va. The Bonnies will be looking to bring a season's worth of momentum forward after finding plenty of midseason success. 

On the men's side, O'Neill and sophomore Mark Mizsei have each earned A-10 Performer of the Week designations. O'Neill has also qualified for NCAA Diving Zones from both boards, being joined by freshman Brady Huettl who qualified from the 1-meter board. Fellow freshmen Matheus Rinaldi and Emanuele Zingaro also picked up two A-10 Rookie of the Week distinctions.

On the women's side, freshman Kate Hill has collected A-10 Rookie of the Week honors twice, being joined by fellow first-year Bonnie Sophie Baker, who earned the nod once herself. Divers Dhav Mendoza and Lia Doskoris have each qualified for NCAA Diving Zones from both boards. Senior Nele Vetter and junior Anna Bojana Forjan, who helped the Bonnies to a new program record in the 400-free relay (3:20.72) at last year's conference championships, will return and look to improve upon that success.

For full information on championships, check out A-10 Championship Central.