Belles rewrite history with record season
By NOREEN GILLESPIE
Sports Writer
Breaking out of history is sometimes the biggest challenge of all.
For the Saint Mary's swimming and diving team, their history was little to be proud of. No squad had topped .500 in the past decade, teams had persistent low finishes in the MIAA championships, and most of the individual records were etched into the books more than six years ago.
Add in an inconsistent coaching history, and the 1999-2000 squad had its work cut out for them.
But changes, including a squad of talented freshmen, the addition of a diving squad, and a new first-year coach changed what was once a daunting past into a suddenly sparkling future.
It was something that was difficult not to notice.
Notching victories over University of Chicago and Olivet College during the regular season, and marginal losses to Albion, Calvin and Alma College, Saint Mary's established itself as a team no longer to be taken lightly in the MIAA.
That realization hit home for many of the teams during the conference Swimming and Diving Championships at Rolfs Aquatic Center February 10-12, where the Belles found themselves in a hotly contested fight for fourth place.
"The statement that we made was that we're a talented, hard-working swim team that is really just in its beginning stages," head coach Gretchen Hildebrandt said. "With such a strong beginning, and such as strong base of talented swimmers, we can go so far with that. We have such a promising future."
Beyond simply improving in the MIAA, however, the Belles proved that this year's squad that would rewrite Saint Mary's history, etching seven new records in the school's record board.
Senior co-captain Michelle Samreta closed out her collegiate career setting her fourth new mark in the 100-yard breastroke, while junior Colleen Sullivan, the 1999-2000 Most Valuable Swimmer, set a new school mark both in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle. Freshman Lauren Smith also set a new school record in the 200 breastroke.
The 400 medley relay team of freshman Lane Herrington, sophomore Alicia Lesneskie, sophomore Danielle Clayton and senior Michelle Samreta re-set their own record from earlier in the season.
Entering next year with a strong base of returning swimmers and a solid core of freshman recruits, the future continues to look bright, even in the absence of graduating seniors.
Samreta, a co-captain for the past three years and one of the hallmarks of the team for the past four years, will be the lone graduating senior on the squad.
"Words can't really explain the hole that she'll leave," Hildebrandt said. "She has left her spirit and enthusiasm for the program behind, and a lot of the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors caught on. She'll still be living through what she's made out of the team."
But no matter what, the team's biggest lesson in 1999-2000 was that sometimes, rewriting history isn't as hard as it looks.
"There really isn't any limit," Hildebrandt said. "With one year under my belt, I have such positive feelings from this year. I'm so excited about what next year is going to bring."
All Sports Stories for Friday, May 19, 2000
