Team provides a competitive atmosphere
The CU club swimming team has won the club national championship the past two years in a row. Now they are looking to make it three.
“National championship or not, you have to approach every year a little differently,” head coach Nate Rothman said. “We can expect to do the same thing at nationals as last year by doing the same things, but we want to be better as a team.”
Turnout for club swimming this year has been substantial. Nearly 100 prospective swimmers showed up to the club’s informational meeting and around 40 freshmen attended the first practice of the season, Rothman said.
Part of the reason the CU club team won the club national championships two years running is nearly all of their regular season competition leading up to the club championships is against varsity swimming programs.
“We’re fighting against varsity programs all year and consistently setting goals to race and swim against them,” Rothman said. “It’s really fun to go out and swim those teams and be able to compete with kids who come out voluntarily as opposed to scholarship swimmers.”
Junior captain Taylor Bleidt, who swims the 200-meter and 500-meter freestyle events, likes swimming for a volunteer athletic program.
“It’s a lot of fun because we get the people who really want to be here to swim and not just the one’s who are there because they’re good,” Bleidt said. “We have swimmers of all ability levels, but they all want to be here and swim and be a part of the team. I spend all my time with them, it’s a good circle of friends to have.”
Freshman Josh Fleming said while the team atmosphere is really competitive, it is not intimidating.
“It’s a lot of fun and competitive,” Fleming said. “Everyone here is really friendly and welcoming to all skill levels, whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been swimming your whole life.”
The club swim team has their first competition of the season on Oct. 6 against Metro State and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brad Cochi at brad.cochi@colorado.edu
