Women's Swimming Season Preview
10/10/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 10, 2005
The Maryland women's swimming and diving team has not lost a dual meet since February 8, 2003. Last season, they posted a perfect 11-0 record, including 7-0 in the ACC and became the first team in school history to win the ACC Championships. Eight school records fell, including one ACC record, 10 swimmers earned All-ACC honors, six earned Honorable Mention All-American and one earned All-American honors. The team finished the season with the squad's highest-ever national ranking at 12.
The returning 20 swimmers will have a new leader at the helm of the program, but will use their talent and experience to continue their tradition of success.
The university hired head coach Dave Durden on August 18, 2005. Durden, who was the former head assistant coach of the men's team at Auburn, expects this season to build on the success of last year. The new head coach believes that the 2005-06 team can take the program to the next level.
"We have a group of women returning who are very talented. My expectations are to take more swimmers to the NCAA Championships and advance at that national level," Durden said.
This team has proved it can compete with the best swimmers in the NCAA. Three swimmers are returning who earned All-ACC recognition. Gigi deToll returns for her junior year after winning the 100-butterfly at the ACC Championships her freshman and sophomore years. DeToll also qualified for NCAA Championships in the 100-butterfly and looks to continue success this season.
Along with DeToll, Sasha Malanina, an NCAA Championships qualifier in four events and All-ACC team member, returns for her junior season as a Terp. Malanina, who joined the team in January of 2004, will be a threat at the ACC Championships in the 400-IM and distance freestyle events.
Durden will look to seniors Barbara Sumrall, Inbal Levavi and Krisztina Kovacs to lead the team in and out of the water.
The Terps lost 10 swimmers from last year's team, including six graduating seniors and four transfers. Durden feels that the smaller environment will give freshman Jennifer Fink and Yelena Skalinskaya the opportunity to contribute to the team more quickly.
"Having two incoming freshmen is wonderful for them and the team. Jennifer and Yelena will become integrated into the team more quickly and will become beneficial. They will have the opportunity to step up and be part of this winning group. This season, the identity of the team will not be relied upon by only 10 swimmers, but the entire team," Durden said.
This team may also find that their training program will be different this season. Durden's philosophy in coaching is "doing things at high rates of speed."
"We have to train to race. From the water to the weight room, the team must gain strength and flexibility. The level of student here is high and we must take use that to encourage these swimmers to take swimming into their daily lives. We are going to focus on nutrition, sleep and hydration on a day to day basis," said Durden.
The Terps will also have a new team to compete against this season. With the addition of Boston College into the Atlantic Coast Conference, there will now be 10 teams at the ACC Championships. Durden said, "Anytime you add a program to a conference, it solidifies the conference to move up and become a top conference. The addition of Boston College is good for the ACC."
The Terps have a busy schedule this season, but they will only travel twice to Pittsburgh and NC State.
Durden is excited and ready to have a successful season. "This is a great opportunity and my goal is to create an environment where success is inevitable," he said.
The regular season begins Oct. 21 when the Terps host Virginia Tech, Florida State and Georgia Tech. The Terps will host the ACC Championships on Feb.15-18, for the first time since 2002.
