The Gustavus men’s swim team is kicking off their season with a meet against Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. on Friday, Nov. 9.

“They’ve been swimming for a month,  and it is time to race. They are all very excited. Saint Olaf will be tough, but I think we have improved quite a bit. It is going to be some good racing,” Head Coach Jon Carlson said.

Athletes not participating in the meet in Northfield will race in the following meet on Saturday, Nov. 10. The athletes will be traveling to Sioux City, Iowa to swim in the Morningside Invitational.

On Nov. 17, 2012, the swim team will compete in a mini invitational hosted by Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN.

“It’s a pretty fun meet. Saint John’s is a strong team but I think we have more depth,” Senior Captain Adam Rosell said.

According to Senior Captain David Kramer, the team is starting off the season with a strong start, and is motivated to race well.

“We had some well rounded freshmen come in and the upperclassmen are ready to step up and take on those leadership roles. Everyone is always energized and looking to push each other to our full potential. We are always looking for ways to get better in and out of the pool. I think that our team is truly unique in this aspect and will continue to build off of each other,” Kramer said.

With great leadership, the team is built to succeed this season. According to Carlson, the captains and seniors have done well taking on these roles.

“Adam Rosell and David Kramer are doing a great job in their leadership roles. David had not swum for two years and is back now. He is swimming faster than he ever has before. Adam was a great leader last year and is continuing to do a great job this year,” Carlson said.

Both senior captains agree that with a great coach leading them, that the team is headed in the right direction.

“Jon is just fantastic. I’ve never had a better coach. He is always so willing and puts his problems aside to motivate us,” Rosell said.

“The coaches are great because they make our team feel small even though it is very big for a MIAC swim program.  Each coach finds time to give us individual attention during practice, helping with different techniques, or motivating us to swim faster,” Kramer said.

The positive attitude and appreciation for other athletes on the team makes a promising season seem very likely. Whether it’s cranking out hard workouts each day, bonding outside of the pool, or running around campus in their speedos together, the team has a bond unlike many others.

“They’re hilarious. They know when it is time to work hard, and they do, but they really do know how to screw around though too. It’s a good balance,” Carlson said.

“The team is very close-knit. We are just a ridiculously close group of people,” Rosell said.

The men are expecting this year to be better than many previous ones, and are set on achieving their goals.

“Saint Olaf, Saint Thomas and us should be pretty intense matchups as the season goes on. We all work towards our goal of winning conference,” Rosell stated.

“A lot of teams don’t know where we are right now. I think we are going to surprise a lot of people. It is going to be an amazing year— maybe one of the best we have ever had,” Carlson said.

With a new group of first-years and committed returning athletes, the team is ready to face tough competition in the meets to come. According to Kramer, the Friday meet will be a tough and highly competitive match.

“We are all going in to Olaf with the mindset that we are going to win.  Olaf is one of our toughest competitors we will swim against all season, and I think we have the depth to step up and give them a run for their money for the meet on Friday.  Meets beyond Olaf hold the same expectations.  We have a lot of guys ready to step up this year and take on new roles,” Kramer said.