<eturn to Carleton this winter coming off of their annual winter training trip, which took place this year in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Despite being from Minnesota, the Knights, in caps and Speedos, were caught off guard by 169-year record lows during outdoor morning practices. As temperatures plummeted as far as 40 degrees, the Knights even got a taste of national spotlight, finding themselves on the cover of the Miami Herald for braving the cold.
The Knights competed in a tri-dual meet against Kalamazoo College and NOVA Southeastern University during their stay in Florida.
For divers, a major contributing factor to the frigid conditions was the gusting winds, which posed “legitimate dangers,” according to diver Eric Brenner ‘11. In the end, the diving portion of the meet was cancelled, because, as Brenner said, “the winds were ridiculous.”
Worries for divers’ safety arose when winds shifted Brenner mid-dive during the second round of his three-meter performance.
“I spooked the judge when a balance issue led me to get pretty close to the board,” Brenner said.
On the swimming side, the Carleton women’s team earned a double victory over both opponents, bringing their season record to 2-1. The men’s team lost to both schools in Florida, walking away with a 1-2 record for the season thus far.
One of the standout performances came from Ashley Paquin ‘13. The coaches selected Paquin as the women’s team swimmer of the meet for her performance in the grueling 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle.
For the men’s team, the coaching staff highlighted Brian Kilgour ’11 for his impressive 200- and 500-yard freestyles swims.
In addition, senior and co-captain Kale Zicafoose ’11 was selected by the NCAA as the national Division III Swimmer of the Week for her consistently outstanding achievements.
“I was thrilled to be able to represent our team and bring more attention to Carleton swimming,” said Zicafoose of the recognition. Receiving the award “was such a confidence boost and honor.”
Looking ahead in the season, the men’s and women’s swim teams have a doubleheader this weekend, starting with their first of two home meets at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 14 at the Thorpe Pool in West Gym against Gustavus Adolphus College. The Knights chase this competition with an all day invitational meet against Saint John’s and Saint Benedict in Collegeville.
-Ben Bedore and Kate Dorwart are members of the swimming and diving teams.