The winter weather didn't stop the Ball State University women's swimming and diving team from leaving Muncie to travel to the Mid-American Conference Championships Tuesday.
"We're on the road and it's quite an adventure," co-coach Bob Thomas said Tuesday. "You can't see more than 200 yards in front of you from the wind, but the road is clear for the most part. As long as everyone is cautious on the road, we'll be fine."
The team left for Ypsilanti, Mich. around 1:30 p.m. for the three-day meet.
All eight teams in the MAC will be in attendance and co-coach Laura Seibold-Caudill said the team is excited for the challenging meet.
"We have a lot of upperclassmen on our team and they are very well trained," Seibold-Caudill said. "They are scholars of the sport and know how to prepare. The most important thing is that they swim their own races and focus on not being intimidated."
She said the competition is tougher this year and that Miami University has reloaded with more depth compared to previous seasons. The battle Ball State will find itself in will be for third or fourth place overall, she said.
"I think Miami is the favorite at this point," Seibold-Caudill said. "But anything can happen for third or fourth between the rest of the field. The team has been preparing all year for this and they are excited about the chance to be in the competition."
The meet starts today at 11 a.m., with two relays scheduled. The regular swimming events start Thursday and conclude on Friday. The lineup of events changed this year after the MAC coaches voted last year to change the running order to allow a better break for the athletes that compete in the relays and their regular swimming events, Thomas said.
"By taking another day and spreading it out, you get better results across the board," Thomas said. "The team is very excited for the meet. If they weren't nervous, I would be worried."
Both coaches said last week's practices went well, and the team got a much-needed break to finish out the tapering season. They said the key to victory this week would be the amount of energy and drive the team has during the meet.
"We need to remember to stay focused as a team," Seibold-Caudill said. "The more we do that, the better we'll do."
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