Prior to the meet, the team set a goal as a team to set as many pool records as possible, according to Mills. Robinson, Slack, freshman Camille Hendrix, and Hinkle did their part to fulfill that goal by setting a pool record of 3:30.68 in an exhibition 400-yard freestyle relay, the third pool record of the day.
“Robinson got them off to a great start,” Morawski said. “Katy [Hinkle] loves to race. She knew she would have to be fast if they had a chance at that record.”
“It was a team effort,” Slack said of the relay. “Everyone swam well.”
With the new academic schedule affecting the swim schedule, the meet’s score may have been more one-sided than in past years.
“If we had had another meet in December like in the past,” Morawski said, “then I would not have had my swimmers in their best event and it might have been more competitive.”
Additionally, the new schedule has allowed swimmers to take the month of January to focus on training and a healthy lifestyle without other distractions.
“Without the stress of exams or schoolwork, the team has been able to catch up on sleep,” Morawski said. “This academic schedule could work out for us.”