UCLA swimmers stood on the starting blocks, backs arched and arms stretched forward, ready to plunge into the water at the sound of coach Cyndi Gallagher’s whistle. It was another routine Monday practice in which an atmosphere of competition was built up.
Returning from an intense three-day A3 Performance Invitational over the weekend at East Los Angeles College, the UCLA swim team continued the momentum into training at Spieker Aquatics Center. Gallagher said that special exercises that help the swimmers recover from the exhaustion were not necessary.
“They are used to being tired,” Gallagher said. “So they don’t really give in to that.”
Sophomore Michaela Merlihan reported that the intensity of the meet actually had a positive effect on the team’s performance over the weekend.
“We went into the meet not rested, but a lot of the schools we competed against were rested,” Merlihan said. “So we had competition and it made us swim fast.”
Sophomore Madison White explained a solution that eased the tension of the three-day invitational.
“We take it one day at a time, even one session at a time,” White said. “Once we do it day by day, it makes the meet a lot easier and more manageable.”
The Bruins are determined to extend their momentum to the upcoming Thanksgiving break. By Gallagher’s schedule, most swimmers can go home Tuesday or Wednesday night and return Sunday morning. But competitors participating in the 2014 AT&T; Winter National Championships will have to return a day in advance to prepare for next week’s meet.
At the same time, a Thanksgiving holiday to spend with family doesn’t mean total separation from the swimming pool for the Bruins. Each of the swimmers has a home club team to train with during the break. Gallagher encouraged the swimmers to maintain the same amount of training at home but insisted that it wasn’t a strict requirement.
“I don’t require it, but they all do it,” said Gallagher. “They are recruited to be elite student athletes and to be self-motivated.”
White, participating in the upcoming national championships, expressed a similar form of motivation mentioned by her coach.
“Even though it’s nice to be home and see my family, it’s still like business,” she said. “I will just try to get the bigger picture that nationals is coming up.”
As the season goes on, it becomes more and more vital for the Bruins to keep their momentum.
“You can’t just take a week off,” Gallagher said. “It doesn’t work in the sport.”