While swimming appears to be an individual sport, the Gustavus swimming and diving team holds a team bond that even water can’t break; a bond that has driven both the men and women swimmers to reach their ultimate goals this season.

“Growth that has happened this season can be attributed to the team cementing a bond with each other, and realizing that each swimmer has a profound effect on everyone else in the program,” Men’s and women’s swimming and diving Head Coach Jon Carlson said. In the words of Finding Nemo’s Dory, both the men and women’s team “just keep swimming” to victory.

This past weekend, the 2014 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Championships were held at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. Both the men’s and women’s teams performed exceptionally well, with the women taking home the gold for the fifth consecutive year. Throughout the weekend, the men raced their way to a fourth place finish. Coach Carlson was also a winner at the Conference Championships when he was named MIAC Coach-of-the-Year for the third time in his coaching career.

From the beginning of the season, the women had set their sights on winning the conference title, with the slogan “Drive For Five” a common saying among the team. The women’s team’s winning performance at last weekend’s Championships made this dream a reality, as the women recorded a school-record total of 886.5 points.

Many swimmers performed well at the MIAC Championships, but Senior Alissa Tinklenberg stood out with her record-shattering performances. After winning numerous events throughout the weekend, Tinklenberg became the most decorated swimmer in Gustavus Athletics’ history. Tinklenberg was also named the MIAC Women’s Swimmer-of-the-Year for the second straight year, becoming the first woman in Gustavus swimming’s history to accomplish this feat twice in a row.

Tinklenberg is still trying to let her accomplishment of being named the MIAC Swimmer-of-the-Year and the most decorated women’s swimmer in Gustavus history sink in.

“There have been so many incredible athletes who have come before me. I’m still at the point where I can hardly express in words how much it means to me,” Tinklenberg said.

Tinklenberg said she has had many role models throughout her life, but her dad has been one of her closest.

“He has taught me that hard work, determination, and perseverance all pay off in the end. I wouldn’t be successful if it wasn’t for his guidance,” Tinklenberg said.

Tinklenberg says her team’s success this year stems from them truly caring for one another.

“We use the phrase ‘I have your back’ because we care about each other and no matter what happens we are there for each other,” Tinklenberg said.

Sophomore Jacob Stern said his teammates count on one another to do their best every time they get in the water.

“The knowledge that your swims affect others and matter to your team is very empowering and allows us to push ourselves even harder,” Stern said.

The leaders on both teams have helped encourage their teammates to keep inspiring one another.

“It starts with our senior leadership. I’m very proud of the extra effort the seniors have put in to make the season rewarding for everyone. One thing that we all try to do is swim to inspire each other. Not everyone can win their race, but they can bring an effort level that inspires their teammates to do the same,” Carlson said.

Inspiration and a positive attitude are what have kept both teams pushing forward.

“The training for this season has been outstanding, but the true key this season has been the positive attitude, both in the pool and out of the pool, at practice, and at meets,” Carlson said.

As with any season, both teams faced challenges along the way.

“This year [the men] have really had to come together as a team and learn to swim for each other, which can be a challenging task because of the inherently individual nature of the sport,” Stern said.

With each challenge, however, comes the opportunity to improve.

“It’s important to have a passion to improve as a swimmer, and always keep in mind how you want to be remembered as a person and as a team,” Carlson said.

Through the ups and downs of both the men and women’s season, both teams have received continued support from their coach.

“I’m proud of the team and how they continue to grow as individuals and a group,” Carlson said.