If their performance at the Forum Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is any indication, the forecast is sunny for the Boston University swim teams in 2002.
The Terriers finished in first place in both the men’s and women’s swimming competition and also won both men’s diving events.
“It went very well,” said coach Reagh Wetmore. “[The teams] really enjoyed it.”
The men’s squad actually tied Toledo University for first place in the swimming competition, with 172 points. The women won their competition outright with 156 points.
The competition consisted of 50-meter races in each of the four different strokes. Though he said the facilities were excellent, they did take some getting used to, Wetmore said.
“The pool was very large and there was no turn,” he said. “It was just 50 meters straight ahead. We’re used to having a turn halfway.”
None of the Terrier swimmers turned out season-best times, but there were several strong performances. On the women’s side, junior Karissa Lopez nabbed second place in the butterfly, while junior Laurie Green finished the breaststroke in 36.06. Freshman Cortlandt McKinlay and junior Ingrid Salazar finished with third place performances in the backstroke and freestyle, respectively.
The men also had one first- place swimmer — senior captain Jeff Graves, who won the butterfly with a time of 27.29. Junior Aaron LeValley and sophomore Ryo Takano finished dead even for second place in the freestyle, with times of 26.46. Freshmen Pablo Morales and Chris Collins had third- place showings in the breaststroke and backstroke, respectively.
The most impressive performance for the Terriers came from freshman diver Victor Paguia. He won both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, leading BU to a first- place finish in the diving competition.
The women’s team also performed well in the diving competition, with sophomore Stacey Gallacher taking second place.
The team worked hard all week before the competition, holding two workouts every other day.
“It was good because they had more time to swim,” Wetmore said. “They didn’t have to worry about going to class or anything else.”
With nothing else to worry about, the teams clearly enjoyed themselves. The hotel they stayed at was neighbored by the beach on one side and the indoor swimming facilities on the other.
“It’s a swimmer’s paradise,” Wetmore said.
On Saturday, the teams will trek north to swim against the University of Vermont. Wetmore likes the way the men’s squad looks heading into this weekend, but the women’s team is starting to wear thin.
“We’ve lost five people so far this year,” Wetmore said. “We’ve lost a lot due to injuries, especially shoulder injuries.”
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