Gardner-Webb Women's Swimming Readies for 2013-14 Season Opener at N.C. College Invitational October 4-5
September 12, 2013 | Swimming
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Gardner-Webb's women's swim team recently opened practice for the 2013-14 competition season, a road which begins October 4-5 at the North Carolina College Invitational (Greensboro, N.C.) and continues through February, culminating with the 2014 CCSA Championship Meet (Knoxville, Tenn.).
Only a few weeks into training for the season-long journey, head men's and women's swim coach Mike Simpson has already noticed a unique team chemistry that figures to serve the team well through February and beyond.
"We have great leadership and great chemistry, and I feel that is a huge step, a key component, toward becoming a better team," said coach Simpson. "This Fall, the challenge we as a coaching staff are presenting is to take your swimming, individually, to the next level.
"So far, they are responding to that challenge."
The Runnin' Bulldogs boast one of their deepest rosters in recent memory. The women's team returns eleven student-athletes who finaled individually at last season's Conference Championship meet: Jenna Ballinger (200 free, 200 back), Charity Byrum (100 and 200 breast, 200 IM), Madi Dinsmore (1,650 free), Giorgie Graves (100 and 200 fly, 500 free), Faith Kempf (200 free, 200 fly), April Niccolai (200 IM, 200 back), Mary O'Doherty (100 fly, 50 free), Taylor Schwartz (200 back), Sam Shelley (200 IM, 200 breast), Anna Springer (100 and 200 breast), and CJay Wiley (200 and 400 IM). Combined with two incoming freshmen and a host of other key contributors returning to the mix, GWU figures to be a strong contender at the top of the CCSA once again in 2013-14.
"The CCSA has gotten deeper," said coach Simpson. "We are aiming to get all the women, including the freshmen, to understand the goal while knowing that the challenge is going to be even tougher. The fear with having two freshmen coming into such a large team is that they will get swallowed up, but the upperclassmen have been intentional in taking them under their wing."
After opening the season in Greensboro, N.C. for the N.C. College Invitational, Gardner-Webb will compete in its first dual meet of the season on Friday, October 18 against Queens College (Charlotte, N.C.).
GWU returns to an invitational-style meet November 1-2 for the Wingate Quad Meet (Charlotte, N.C.) prior to hosting for the first time in 2013-14 and for the only time in the Fall. The Runnin' Bulldogs welcome VMI for a Relay Meet in Boiling Springs, N.C. on Saturday, November 9 at 1:00 p.m.
The November 22-24 Fall Frenzy Invitational (Charlotte, N.C.) will represent the Runnin' Bulldogs' Fall taper meet. A select number of GWU swimmers will swim at USA Winter Nationals, held December 5-7 in Knoxville, Tenn., also the site of this year's Conference Championships.
To open the 2014 portion of the schedule, GWU travels to Limestone College (Gaffney, S.C.) for a dual meet on Thursday, January 16. Two days later, the Runnin' Bulldogs swim at Davidson College (Davidson, N.C.) in CCSA action.
Another CCSA dual meet follows January 24-25, as GWU travels to Statesboro, Ga. to compete against Georgia Southern and North Florida. Following that meet, Gardner-Webb will host College of Charleston for a dual meet January 31 - February 1, the Runnin' Bulldogs' senior day for this season.
2013-14 CCSA Conference Championships are scheduled to run Thursday, February 20-22 in Knoxville, Tenn.
