Individual Swims Key to Success for Scots at League Championships

by Dan Nolan

Monmouth, IL (02/11/2020) — Focusing on the individual performances and not the team scores is the goal for Monmouth College at this weekend's Midwest Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in Grinnell, Iowa.

"We're not really focusing on the team score," said Fighting Scots coach Tom Burek, whose men's team finished third last season while the women placed sixth. "The team seems to be focused, excited and swimming fast. The goal is to be at our best for three days this weekend. It's a grueling weekend for sure."

Junior Preston Bocchi is the Scots' lone returning conference champion, winning the men's 50-yard freestyle last year after taking the top spot in the 100 and 200 backstroke events as a freshman. He's turned in this season's second- and fourth-fastest time in the backstrokes - his signature events. Bocchi's 100 back time is less than two one-hundredths off the lead and his 200 time is just over one, one-hundredth of a second off the pace. He's also highly ranked in the 50 free - the event he won a season ago.

"Obviously, the hope is for Preston to repeat in the 50 free," said Burek. "It's a tough event and the slightest mistake can move you from first to last. You just have to hit everything as perfect as you can. He'd like to get back to the top of the podium in the backstroke events. It will probably take a 1:55 in the 200 and I'm guessing someone will go :49 in the 100 back. Both times would be about five seconds faster than he's swam this season."

The Scots also have high-scoring potential in the 100 breaststroke and the distance freestyle events. Kyle Jones has turned in the seventh-fastest time in the shorter breaststroke event while Rik Doornenbal and Tyler Davis are Burek's guesses to make waves in the 1,000 and 1,650. Doornenbal ranks seventh in the 1,000 and Davis ninth. Doornenbal is also 10th in the 1,650.

"I think those three could get us some top eight points," said Burek. "On the distance side, Rik and Tyler are certainly moving up the standings a little bit. They're neck-and-neck in the 1,650 and will have to do the very best they can in the first race. Only the top eight go to the finals. Kyle's goal is a top eight in the breaststroke. He's looked very good after our Florida training trip in January. He's got a different, better look at the meet this year."

Freshman Joseph Addison has dented the Monmouth record books and could be a serious contender in a variety of events. His 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley times are both the fourth-best in the league and his 400 IM ranks fifth.

"I think Joseph's best events are the 200 fly and 400 IM," said Burek. "He has the strength and endurance for the 400 IM. He's strong in the breaststroke and that's a big part of his success in the IM."

On the women's side, freshman Jaidlyn Sellers looks to be the Scots' top hope with the fifth-best 100 backstroke time. She's sixth in both the 200 back and 50 free. Veteran Miranda Pasky could also turn in significant points in the 100 breaststroke where she's clocked the league's eighth-best time.

"They're both coming back from injuries, but should have a good meet," reported Burek. "We're looking for good things in the two backstroke events for Jaidlyn. We'd love to see her, as a freshman, in the top eight. Miranda's goal is to move up and finish above her No. 8 seed."

Burek also expects another freshman - Becca Waxberg - to make an impact. Burek has high hopes for his newcomer in the 200 IM and the 100 and 200 fly events.

"I see some top eight finishes in Becca's future," predicted Burek. "Her goal is to be a dominant scorer. She's on the cusp of being a top-eight swimmer."

The Scots will enter the three-day working weekend after prepping for the meet since the first practice last fall. Burek isn't too concerned with the team outcome, counting on the individual swimmers to be at their best and letting the team scores sort themselves out.

"Improved times for everyone is the goal," said Burek. "Part of the challenge of the championship meet is the three full days of competition. About halfway through, the freshmen will realize they're tired and still have half the meet to swim. You just have to fight through the fatigue. We really haven't talked that much about the team scoring, but I think it will be a challenge for the men to hang onto third. We've got a larger women's roster, so we have the opportunity there to score more points and move up from last year's sixth-place finish. You just don't know what the other teams are going to do, so we have to do our best."