Results
Gettysburg, PA — In athletics, the final score doesn't always tell the obvious truth.
Saturday's 2010-2011 season-opening meet at Gettysburg College was a prime example.
The Falcons were overcome by the Bullets on both the women's and the men's sides, 151-94 and 145-99, respectively.
What the final scores didn't reveal, however, was that the Falcons swam their way to 11 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) qualifying-marks, a school record and a very bright future, according to head coach Nancy Luley.
“Getting those (qualifying) times this early in the season takes the pressure off of times and helps us focus on improving,” Luley said. “We know and expect that we will get better as the season continues.”
Although the Bullets dominated Saturday's meet, Messiah boasted outstanding performances from two freshmen. Hanna Schaffer set a new school record for the 50-yard freestyle as the starter of the women's 200-yard freestyle relay, finishing with a split of 25.98. In the men's 100-yard breaststroke, freshman Daniel Wingert recorded his first collegiate win in a time of 1:04:26.
If the performances from the newcomers are glimpses into what the future holds, then the young Falcons squad has a lot to look forward to.
The men's and women's rosters are dominated by underclassmen, boasting just one senior and five juniors, but Luley remains eternally optimistic.
“This is the strongest women's team we've had in three years,” she said.
On the men's side, the realism of the situation is more apparent.
“We graduated six senior men. This left a big hole,” Luley said. “We are young and inexperienced.”
Even though Messiah is young, Luley believes the returners are poised to lead the way.
“The captains have pushed them. Land training has prepared them,” Luley said. “They are in better shape than last year.”
In addition to inexperience, Messiah has also had to deal with a relatively large pre-season issue in the lack of a home pool. After a leak and subsequent repairs to Messiah's facility left it waterless for the better part of the past two months, Luley had to take her team on the road, practicing at area high schools.
“It hasn't been ideal, but we've adapted,” Luley said. “We've had to practice at some odd times, and we haven't had a true home. But these kids have had a great attitude. They haven't made excuses and they've continued to train hard.”
Messiah is finally back in its own pool, however, and Luley's expectations for the season are simple: Get faster and stronger.
“We've got work to do,” she said. “Gettysburg is a strong program with a lot of tradition, and we knew this would be a very tough measuring stick. We're excited to see improvement throughout the season.”
Messiah's speed and strength will be tested when they travel to Elizabethtown College next Wednesday, Nov. 10th in the teams' first meeting with a MAC opponent. The meet is slated to begin at 6 p.m.
