Swim team makes big splash

BRIAN SMITH STAFF WRITER BTS723@CABRINI EDU

This year, Cabrini’s women’s swim team has high expectations. With several new additions to the swim team this year, swim-team coach Mike Kernicky ranks it as “the best team yet.”

New additions to the team include freshman Kelly Cotton, currently undecided for a major, and Gina Scuibba, an elementary education major Cotton was form ally a student at Cardinal O’Hara and swimmer for 10 years of her life. When asked what she brings to this team, Cotton said, “I think I bring experience to the team. I would like to motivate the team to have a goal and to achieve it. This year, I am hoping that I will be a first rate swimmer and improve all of my times.”

Meanwhile, Scuibba was a student from Archbishop Prendergast with about nine years of swimming experience. Also, when asked what she brings to the team, Scuibba said, “I think that I can bring encouragement and enthusiasm to the team. I am also a 500 and 200 swimmer, so I hope to be able to score some points for the team. I think that I will do better this year in my events because I think that I have the proper training to swim my best times.”

This year the swim team is being lead by team captains Nina Scimenes and Laura Walker, who have both been captains since their junior years and have been with the team since their fresh- man years. Each have different ways of supporting their teammates. Scimenes calls from her e xperience as a freshman to encourage the new members of her team, while Walker helps students balance college, sports and free time.

To prepare for this season, swim team members have a rigorous practice and exercise schedule. From Monday through Thursday, the swim team practices for two hours in the evening and practices more every Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. In addition, swim-team members also have “dry-land” training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30, which ranges from Tai-Bo to exercises with weights.

“Anumber of the girls are going on their fourth week of practice, including ones that they were able to complete on their own, but it’s only going on our second week of regular practice. We’re seeing a great turnout this year and a lot of new freshmen have joined our team,” Walker said.

The swim team’s next competition will be held on Nov. 3 against Notre Dame. Coach Mike Kernicky hopes his team will win against Notre Dame, as well as Arcadia, having lost to them two years in a row. “Hopefully we’ll win, maybe we’ll turn the tables on them,” Kernicky said.

As an additional motivation, Scimenes mentioned that swimteam members will be treated to a training trip in Florida should they raise enough money. “I am really looking forward to going on a training trip in Florida this winter break. It would be a great way to end my Cabrini swimming years. We have been raising money to make this possible. Spending time with the team will be a lot of fun, and we will build the team even closer together. We have ongoing fundraisers that are important to the plans we have for the team this year. Ask a swimmer if you want to help out the team,” Scimenes said.

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Junior plays ‘for love of game’

Megan Farrell, junior English and communication major, has been playing field hockey as long as she can remember. Her earliest memories of the game are of watching her mother coach.

“I was always by her side when she was coaching. She is the main reason I am still playing field hockey today,” Farrell said. “She showed me the most important thing: the love for the game.”

Even though Farrell played the game for most of her life; she did not play on an organized team until fifth grade. It wasn’t until this that she truly understand her mother’s love for field hockey.