The Augustana Observer sat down with women’s swimming captain Kristin Schoenecker to discuss her role as a captain and the team’s ambitions for the season.
1. Who do you think will be your toughest opponent this season?
“Carthage. We just had a meet against them last week. It was a rough meet partially because we were coming off of winter training and we were all tired, but we all swam our hardest. We didn’t come out on top but I was happy with how we performed, especially because Carthage just has a really huge team. They will definitely be a strong rival going into conference.”
2. What are some team and personal goals you have?
“To support each other and put the team above our personal goals. [Personally] I want to get all A’s through the season.
3. Do you have any pre-meet rituals?
“We all try to carbo load and eat dinner together [the night before a meet].”
4. How do you think you have changed as an athlete since your freshman year?
“I’ve definitely realized that it’s important to take my bad meets in stride and not let them get me down. As a junior, I only have this season and next season left so I just want to enjoy every moment I have left and focus on the good things that are happening.”
5. What about swimming has made you want to do it?
“In the beginning, I thought I was going to be all that compared to all the other kids but for a long time I didn’t win races and I wasn’t very good. But my dad told me that ‘you are probably faster, just by being able to swim, than about 95% of the world, it’s just that last 5 % that you are up against.’ That advice inspired me and showed me that I can be successful, I just need to work harder.”
6. Do you have a favorite memory from the team?
“Over winter training when we come back from break a week early, it’s pretty much just the swim team on campus. So the whole week we will spend time together and we don’t have to worry about anything but swimming and working hard. That really brings us closer together. It’s really fun to see everyone working together and supporting each other.”
7. What is one thing about the Augie swim team that sets you apart from your competition?
“A lot of the teams in our conference have really nice pools and have a lot more room to train. But our team is growing a lot. It’s grown by about 20 people since my freshman year, but our facilities have still stayed really small. Because of that we have had incorporate a lot of different training like running and pool work within the same practice. So not only are we good swimmers but we are all around good athletes.”