The seniors on the Virginia women's swim and dive team have been in this position before as they hope to defend their ACC conference crown. But this particular senior class is eyeing to do something unprecedented: to become the first women's senior class in the history of the program to win three ACC championships during their tenure at Virginia.
Twice before in program history have the members of a women's senior class had the opportunity to earn a third ACC title during their collegiate careers - once in the 2000 ACC Championships and again in 2005. Coach Mark Bernardino, who led the previous two teams in their attempts to make Virginia history, believes that this particular senior class has what it takes to add this accomplishment to their already successful careers.
"We've been here two times before where we've had a senior class that's won two consecutive championships as sophomores and juniors," Bernardino said. "But I did not see the focus, the dedication, the desire, the want to be the first to do this in any of those other teams. This one has something special."
The swimmers themselves also feel they will have a strong chance to garner a third straight title and the eighth title in school history - a goal that they set for themselves last February after they won their second title, senior Katherine McDonnell said.
"It would be an awesome legacy to leave behind as a class," McDonnell said. "You look up on that board [displaying banners won by past teams] and you never see three orange numbers in a row and that's definitely something that inspires us every year."
Even if the women's team does not come out on top against its conference foes during this year's championship meet, this senior class will still be one of the most successful and winningest classes in the program's history. Since their freshman season, the swimmers have posted an impressive 33-7 regular season record. During the 2008-09 season, the women earned their highest finishing place in the NCAA Championships since 2002 with a 12th place finish among the nation's best. Several seniors have earned personal accolades as well, including All-American and ACC honors.
Bernardino believes that the success of this class is especially impressive because of its collective drive to excel despite not being touted as one of the greatest recruiting classes when they entered the program four years ago.
"They definitely have a work ethic," Bernardino said. "They weren't projected to be this good. They've willed themselves and physically made themselves this good. That's one of the highest compliments that I, as a coach, can pay to an athlete. You've physically and mentally willed yourselves to excellence when maybe excellence wasn't necessarily expected or predicted of you."\nThe excellence exhibited by the senior swimmers in the pool also has extended to their ability to act as leaders in the locker room and in the classroom, Bernardino said.
"They've grown as leaders [and] as women who are strong and not afraid to be strong and stand up and address their teammates and say, 'This what we need to do to accomplish these goals and these dreams,'" Bernardino said.
Senior co-captain Mei Christensen, who was named the 2009 ACC Swimmer of the Championships, agreed that the seniors' leadership skills will be key in guiding a different group of women into the next two championship meets.
"Every year, there's a new team," Christensen said. "We can look back and look at what we did well the past year, but for this next championship, we have to come together as a team and really see what works well for us and see where our strengths lie."
Christensen and the rest of the squad will begin their run for the ACC Championship Feb. 17 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
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