Preparing for incoming nationals

UIndy swimming and diving competed in the GLVC Championships with honors to both teams

By Michael Harrington BUSINESS MANAGER

The University of Indianapolis men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams competed at the 2023 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships from Feb. 7-11, according to UIndy Athletics. The women’s team placed first, while the men’s team placed second to Drury University, according to UIndy Athletics.

Graduate student and women’s butterfly and freestyle swimmer Johanna Buys said that in her five years at UIndy, the team had been drawing closer to the GLVC title. This marked the first time in history the women’s team has claimed the GLVC title, according to UIndy Athletics.

“We have been close for two years in the past that I’ve been here,” Buys said. “This is my fifth year now and we had never won before… I’m very happy that we finally got it and made UIndy history.”

According to Buys, winning the GLVC championship is a sign of things to come at the end of the team’s season. Buys said the win helped build the team’s connection with one another.

“I’d say we became more like a family rather than just people on the same team,” Buys said. “We became a lot closer with each other and I think that helps us [to do] better on our relays and better on our team support which sets us up for better things in the pool as well.”

UIndy Swimming and Diving Head Coach Brent Noble said the women’s team’s win highlights how they can uphold high expectations.

“The caliber of students, athletes and teammates is higher. The expectations are higher. The expectations they have for each other are higher,” Noble said. “Everything continues to press forward, which is what they want. They want to come here and be a part of something that is going to push them to be their best.”

According to Noble, the men’s and women’s sides are strong, but have learned that they will need to continue to push and redefine their standards toward the end of the season.

“I think both sides have realized that we need to redefine ‘good.’ We’ve had swims over the past few years that were good swims, but now the bar is higher,” said Noble. “It’s taken a minute to realize we have the capability of setting the bar ourselves.”

Graduate student and men’s butterfly/freestyle swimmer Serge Ahadzhanian said that the team has the potential to win the NCAA championship, but will need to have a strong mentality.

“This team really has big potential to win the nationals and it’s a mental state,” said Ahadzhanian. “We have to