Collegiate Times

Long before the typical college student even dreams about hitting the snooze button and while the football squad slumbers on, the Virginia Tech Swimming and Diving team is awake and in the water. For them, practice begins at 5:30 a.m.

?We?re hitting it pretty hard right now to prepare for the dual-meet season,? said senior captain Neil Savage. ?Three times a week, we get up at 5 a.m. for morning practice. And we also go every afternoon (as well as) Saturdays.?

Both the men?s and the women?s swimming and diving teams look to improve upon last season?s records and generate unprecedented success in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

?We need to produce and be strong in the conference,? said head coach Ned Skinner. ?It?s a tough conference, but we?ll definitely see improvement from both teams.?

The women?s team completed the 2005-2006 campaign on a high mark. At the ACC Championships, the Hokies earned fourth place. The team also maintained a national ranking for a majority of the year.

With that in mind, Tech plans to raise the bar for the upcoming season.

?We definitely want to maintain (their past ACC finish) or move up to third,? said senior captain Lauren Dillon. ?Ultimately, our goal is to move up in the ACC this year.? Junior co-captain Jessica Botzum agrees. ?Without a doubt, I think we?ll be top-four,? said Botzum. ?We were fourth last year, and we?ll definitely end at least there, but we?re aiming for third or higher.?

Individually, Botzum played a big role in her team?s past successes. A standout since her freshman year, Botzum?s athletic resume includes ACC Freshman of the Year honors, All-American status, countless first-place finishes and ownership of several national records. A two-time veteran of the NCAA championship, she finished seventh in the 200 yard breaststroke in the 2004-2005 NCAA championship and ninth in the same event during the following year.

Despite performing at a level most people would envy, Botzum isn?t satisfied with her past success.

?I want to re-qualify for the NCAAs,? she stated. ?And this year, I want to make top eight.?

Botzum?s dedication and work ethic, along with her leadership in the water, will undoubtedly aid the Hokies in their quest to the top.

?Jessica is a leader by title, but also a key leader in the way she performs,? said Skinner. ?She sets the tone for our program.?

Along with Botzum, sophomore Sara Smith will prove pivotal for Tech. As a freshman, Smith stole the show, breaking four school records in her very first collegiate meet. At the ACC Championships, she finished second in the 100-yard freestyle. Underneath these triumphant seasoned veterans, the women?s team boasts a large class of talented freshmen.

?We?re a young team, but we have strong leadership,? Dillon said. ?The older people we do have are very successful in the water, and the freshmen are already pulling their own weight.?

In contrast to the youth of the women?s team, the men?s team features a powerful senior class. Seniors Gus Calado, Stephen Jensen, Andrew Pelenberg and Neil Savage come into the 2006-2007 campaign with tremendous experience.

?We have a strong senior class leading the way,? Skinner said. The leadership is very strong from the senior side, we?re very excited about their last year and expect them to lead the conference with a bang.?

Calado, a co-captain, leads the men?s team in experience. A three-time participant in the NCAA Championships, he placed fourth in last year?s 200-yard butterfly, a performance that earned him All-American honors. At the ACC Championships, Calado finished fifth in the 500-yard freestyle and second as a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay.

With one year remaining, Calado is aiming for the top.

?I want to win the NCAA championship in March,? he said. ?Right now, that?s about it.?

The men?s team is also aiming high this season.

?We have our sights on a top four finish (in the ACC). We?d like to move up at least two spots,? Skinner said. ?Last year, our men were 27th in the NCAA and we?d like a top-25 spot for sure. If everything comes together, we?re shooting for a top-20 finish.? Helping the Hokies attain this goal is a core nucleus of returning swimmers.

Juniors Zac Czaplicki and Scott Beard return this year after both being named honorable mentions to the All-American team after they both participated on a 800-yard relay team that finished 15th last year at the NCAA Championships. Along with the returners, several new swimmers will be turning heads.

?We have a very strong newcomer class,? Skinner said. ?Kaan Tayla is someone who will make the national scene, and diver Mike McDonald is someone to watch out for.? Helping McDonald is new diving coach Ron Piemonte.

?Ron is a great person, he?s been a great fit for our team,? Skinner said. ?He has a way about him that?s pleasant yet fiery, he?s really just blended right in.?

Both the men?s and the women?s swimming and diving teams are on the horizon of success, and this season could prove the breaking point.

?Right now we are on the doorstep of being a really good team, a team that can be (in the) top 15 or top 10 in the country,? Calado said.