As the weeks before the ACC Championships wind down, the Virginia men's and women's swim and dive teams hope to repeat their recent success, starting with this weekend's meet at Pittsburgh.
"Since we are coming down the home stretch, it will be a good opportunity for the team to continue to be tough and race beat up a few more times before championship season starts," senior Matt McLean said. "We look forward to the challenge."
For McLean and the rest of the teams' seniors, who were honored at the Cavaliers' meet against Duke last Saturday, time is running out. But the swimmers generally appear to satisfied with their careers and season thus far - the teams tromped fierce ACC rivals North Carolina and Duke last weekend, and the current squad has never lost an ACC championship.
"The way they have performed in this facility has been outstanding," coach Mark Bernardino said. "They are some of the greatest swimmers that have ever competed for Virginia."
With such recent success, it is only understandable that the upperclassmen hope to pass down their winning record so that the freshmen can maintain the program's reputation. In turn, though, this has led to a certain burden of pressure being placed on the squads' newest members.
"In the beginning of the year, the first-years did feel a lot of pressure but we've stepped up in a big way," freshman Taylor Grey said. "The pressure that we felt wasn't a bad pressure; it was more like a healthy push. It was definitely motivating more than anything."
The team's newcomers certainly have been given plenty of footsteps to follow since they have arrived at Virginia. Junior Peter Geissinger and senior Liz Shaw were honored with the title of ACC Performer of the Week last week for their outstanding results last weekend.
The men came from behind to triumph against the Tar Heels 162-138 with the help of Geissinger's top finishes in the 100 butterfly, 50 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay in what Bernardino referred to as his "best dual meet as a college athlete."
"In this sport, you're always racing the clock," Bernardino said. "I think Peter was so focused on racing the clock and having a great performance that he never felt the stress and the pressure to win."
Geissinger's performance in the 100 butterfly was especially impressive considering the competition that he faced from the Tar Heel team. Senior Tommy Wyher, the defending ACC champion and first-team All-American in the event, tested Geissinger with every stroke but could not keep him behind.
"Peter was able to get early enough into the race that a hundred-yard race turned into a three-stroke race," Bernardino said. "He knew where he was in the pool relative to Tommy and he was just able to put his hand on the wall first."
Against the Blue Devils, Geissinger swam a leg on the victorious 200 freestyle medley relay team, leading to the Cavaliers' 155-132 win.
Geissinger, a young team captain, has earned respect as a leader from every member of the team, in and out of the pool.
"I didn't even realize about a month into school that Pete was a third-year," Grey said. "I knew he was a captain but I assumed he was a fourth-year. He's truly been an excellent role model by leading by example and looking for new ways to improve not only himself but the team."
In her last meet at home, Shaw, also a captain, led the Cavaliers to their 161.5-138.5 victory against North Carolina.
"She swam brilliantly," Bernardino said. "She swam with great poise and great technical precision, and with a real desire to lead her teammates athletically."
Statistically, Shaw has been at her best against North Carolina, and her first-place finish in the 200 IM, and third individual win of the day, closed the three-point gap to secure the triumph.\nPoints were also collected by Shaw's winning times in the 100 and 200 butterfly.
"She harnessed her energies and took a lot of responsibility for whether or not the women would win the meet," Bernardino said.
Shaw took the top spot in the 200 freestyle and the 200 medley relay Sunday against Duke, leading to Virginia's 156-132 victory.
Geissinger and Shaw will be in Pittsburgh with the rest of the squad this weekend to face one of the strongest programs in the Big East. By traveling to schools outside of the ACC circuit, the coaching staff hopes to expose the program to young swimmers that may have interest in swimming at Virginia. It also allows the team to maintain intensity of training on the road.
"We try to have a pretty good schedule late in the season so that we stay sharp and we're being forced to compete two weeks prior to the ACC Championship," Bernardino said.
Geissinger steps up to help defeat rival North Carolina as squads prepare for championship seasonSaturday's meet against Pittsburg is scheduled to begin at noon. The Cavaliers will then have just two more meets and an invitational before the start of the conference championship Feb. 16.
Read More
Payton Cormier breaks Division I goals record
By Michael Liebermann | 3 hours agoCormier has forever cemented his legacy as one of the greatest lacrosse players in NCAA history.
Cavaliers advance to NCAA Championship with second place finish at Baton Rouge Regional
By Stephen O'Dea | 5 hours agoVirginia will head to the National Championship in Carlsbad, Calif., with a chance to make history.
Thank you, Reece Beekman
By Ben Istvan | YesterdayBeekman will leave Charlottesville as the program's all-time leader in steals.
