Caitlin Dorsch ~ Copy Desk Chief
This past week, the University of Lynchburg Men’s and Women’s Swim Team began their first ever week of varsity-level practices. On Monday, they began bright and early at 7:00 a.m. in the Wake Field House ready to lift with the help of the University’s Strength and Conditioning Coach Edward Smith, according to second year swimmer Alexis Fabilla. Fabilla said that the theme for this year for the entire team is all about creating traditions for the program and creating expectations for the swimmers to live and grow by. Fittingly, she finished by insisting, “Tradition starts now!”
Second year swimmer, Brandon Goddin, followed Fabilla’s perspective by stating that “Lynchburg swimming has come a far way in just the past few years, from a club team to now be a complete varsity team now. It has been amazing to watch the team grow and build to this level of true NCAA varsity competition. We are going to do great things this year for the program and for the University of Lynchburg. We look forward to building for the future Lynchburg swimmers and for creating our own traditions for the program. I cannot wait to see what we are going to do this year.”
The men’s and women’s club swim program was given the opportunity by the University of Lynchburg to become a varsity-level program just this year. As described by Fabilla and Goddin, all of the swimmers are excited and confident moving into this first ever NCAA varsity season. In preparation for this change, the University of Lynchburg Athletic Department under the Director of Athletics Jon Waters, has created a strong coaching staff with Director of Men’s and Women’s Swimming Brad Dunn and three Assistant Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coaches, specifically Aaron Green, Rachel Spaulding, and Donna Hodgert.
Their first ever meet with be against Randolph College at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27. Please come out to support your Hornets, both men and women. This will surely be a momentous occasion for the University of Lynchburg and its Athletic Department as a whole.
