Bouncing back from tough losses is always crucial in any competitive sport. The women's swimming and diving team will have to do just at their home opener on Thursday night.
This comes only four days after the team struggled in many events at their first conference meet of the year at Miami (Ohio). The host RedHawks got their revenge on the Cardinals from last year, when they blew them out 215-85.
"Everybody's been kind of frustrated here lately," head coach Laura Seibold-Caudill said. "We know we should have done better at Miami. Now everyone has to focus on performing as best they can."
The Michigan State Spartans are up next for the cards in what should prove to be an exciting home opener. Many things needed improved upon after the devastating loss the team suffered last Saturday.
"We have been working more on the small things like our turns and starts," breaststroke swimmer Karla Bailey said. "We have to be more prepared for our events. Staying excited for our races is important. If we don't do well in one event, we can't just give up."
The coach and the team alike agree that this meet will be a tough one. But a lot of improvement can come out of swimming against a Big Ten school.
"It's always good for the team to swim against fast schools because a lot of times we become complacent when we don't have very fast competition," Seibold-Caudill said.
Ball State has a good chance in competing with the Spartans in several events according to the coach. The diving events, individual medleys, and the backstroke seem to be our best opportunities.
Sophomore Kait Martin won the 200-yard backstroke event last year against Michigan State and Caudill thinks she has a good chance of doing it again on Thursday.
"I have heard that they are really good," Martin said. "But everyone should be more pumped up going into this meet because we just didn't mentally prepare ourselves for the last meet."
"We are all ready to swim at home," said diver Dawn Ogden. "It's always harder when competing on the road."
The meet will begin at 6:00 p.m. Thursday at the Lewellen Aquatics Center.
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