Entering the 2013-2014 season, the Colorado College men's swimming and diving team will be rearranging itself to make up for the departure of several graduated seniors. Replacing Reggie Anderson in diving presents a major challenge while losing Flynn McGuire in the sprints, William Bowers in the middle-distance freestyle and Tyler Larrabee in the breaststroke events also have made a huge impact.
 
Head coach Anne Goodman James isn't stressing out about it, however. In order to maximize the team's chances for continued success, she patiently will use the early part of the season experimenting with her new and returning athletes.
 
"We lost some great leadership and a lot of our strength in the sprints, but I think our new captains are stepping up really well," a optimistic Goodman James says. "We're trying to find the best places to utilize everyone's talents. It may fluctuate during the year until we settle in with what's going to be the best formula.
 
"I think the team is willing and ready to go through that with us."
 
Looking toward the 2013-14, which officially started last week, a couple CC relay teams have a shot at making the NCAA cut. That includes the 800 freestyle and 400 medley relays, in which the most effective combinations of swimmers may not be determined until much later in the season while work on progressing continues.
 
The Tigers, whose greatest strength typically lies in their drive and cohesiveness, have a lot of pride in the 800 free, having won the event for several years running at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships.
 
"That's a relay that has qualified for the NCAA meet," says Goodman James. "It's one that the boys feel like they own, and they want to keep the tradition going."
 
There's promise in other events, as well.
 
"The strokes are really solid for us," she says. "We return conference champions in the 200 breast and the 200 fly, [and] just need to get that backstroke in there.".
 
But, while the team also has potential in the sprint freestyle events, depth is short in the diving category where SCAC Diver of the Year and school record holder Austin Howlett returns as the only proven performer.
           
In terms of new faces on the men's team, freshman Dan Oldendorf is one of the strongest additions. "Dan posted a time in high school that would already put him on the 800 free relay of ours that probably will break our school record," says Goodman James. "We feel like we can really take some big steps with him by changing some of his stroke mechanics. I think you're going to see some great things from him – especially in the 100 and 200 freestyle."

Hopes remain high. Anything short of making the NCAA cut and winning a conference championship in 2013-14 will be disappointing. But, in order to accomplish those goals, it is vital for team members to train and perform very consistently, as well as taking care of themselves away from the pool. Goodman James believes that if her student athletes are able to focus on "good technique on every stroke on every turn", they will be more than ready to compete and win when the SCAC championship meet arrives.

The Tigers, who opened the season at the Air Force Academy Duals last Saturday, get their first taste of Division III competition this week when they travel to the West Coast to compete in dual meets against the University of California Santa Cruz and Mills College.

"Not only UC Santa Cruz meet our first Division III opponent, but they're now an affiliate member of the SCAC and are going to compete at the conference championship meet," say Goodman James. "That's really why we've added this trip to our schedule. And Mills, located in Oakland, was the (other) closest Division III school."
 
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