Women's swimming had their best finish ever at the NESCAC meet by taking fourth place out of 11 teams and then topped that by taking a school-best eighth place at the NCAA Division III Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. The Mules sent a record seven women to the NCAA Division III Championships.

First-year swimmer Kelly Norsworthy finished in second place in three breaststroke races at the NESCAC meet and qualified for five events at the NCAA meet. Her swimming helped head coach Tom Burton earn NESCAC Women's Swim Coach of the Year honors.

Norsworthy was third in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 200 breaststroke to earn All-America honors in both races at the NCAA meet.

Senior Laura Miller won the 50 butterfly at the NESCAC meet all four years. She finished second at the national meet in the 100 butterfly last year and earned All-America honors again this year by placing sixth at the national meet.

Meg Vallaly, Beth Foxwell, Lilli Higgins, Annie Muir and Melissa Plante also went to the national meet for the Mules. Vallaly was strong in the 200 freestyle, while Muir joined forces with Norsworthy in the breaststroke.

The Mules had three relay teams taking sixth place finishes and earn All-America honors for placing in the top eight. Higgins, Vallaly, Foxwell and Miller raced in the 400 freestyle relay. Norsworthy, Miller, Plante and Higgins went in the 200 medley relay. Foxwell, Norsworthy, Miller and Vallaly raced in the 400 medley relay.

Norsworthy, Miller, Foxwell, Higgins, Plante and Vallaly all earned NESCAC All-Conference honors for top-three finishes the league meet in individual events and relays.

Kristi Eck, Sharon McMonagle and Plante all earned NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team honors.

As Colby's program enters its 27th season it is expected to be one of the top swim teams in school history.

The Colby women had one of the best seasons in school history in 2003-04 after going 7-2 in dual meets, setting 14 school records, finishing 20th at the NCAA Division III Championship meet, and winning the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) title.

The Mules lost some key swimmers to graduation, but sixth-year head coach returns enough top swimmers to have another big season. Colby opens up the year at home against Coast Guard at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Senior captain Laura Miller (Manchester, N.H.) holds or is part of eight school records at Colby. She finished second in the country in the 100-yard butterfly after winning NESCAC titles in the 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly.

Sophomores Meg Vallaly (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Annie Muir (Springfield, Va.) each had big first seasons for the Mules. Vallaly took third in the 200-yard freestyle and qualified for nationals, while Muir was third in the conference meet in the 100-yard breaststroke and also made the NCAA meet.

Colby had a first last year in sending a relay to nationals when Miller, Vallaly, Muir, and Beth Foxwell (Indianapolis, Ind.) qualified in the 400-yard medley. The four women all earned All-America honors for taking eighth place in the event.

Junior Lauren Simmons (Buffalo, N.Y.), sophomore Lilli Higgins (Brookline, Mass.), and sophomore Weather Potdevin (Juneau, Alaska) all return to the lineup. The three women all are part of relay records for Colby. Sophomore Mary Warlaumont (Chappaqua, N.Y.) also had a fine first season for the Mules.

Melissa Plante (Fayetteville, N.Y.), Kristi Eck (Lake Bluff, Ill.), and Joanna Fontaine (Exeter, N.H.) join Miller as the only seniors on the squad.

Colby also has nine first-year swimmers looking to make an impact.

Jabez Dewey earned honorable mention All-America honors after taking 11th in the 100 backstroke at the NCAA Division III Championships. Dewey earned NESCAC All-Conference honors for finishing in third place in the 50 backstroke and 100 backstroke at the league meet.

Dewey helped Colby finish in seventh place out of 11 teams, an improvement over last year.

Tom Ireland also earned NESCAC league honors after winning the 50 freestyle. He also placed fourth in the 100 freestyle event.

First-year swimmer Evan Mullin also earned conference honors in his first season while racing in the 200 freestyle.

Justin Dubois, Ireland and Dan Seifert each earned NESCAC Winter All-Academic honors.

Despite a small roster size last year, Colby still won two meets and lost two others by 10 points or less. The Mules have a bigger roster, including 10 first-year swimmers, this season.

Colby returns nearly all of its top scorers from a year ago. Sophomore Jabez Dewey (Worcester, Mass.) broke school records in the 50 backstroke and 100 backstroke. Dewey also placed second in the 50 back and third in the 100 back at the NESCAC meet.

Senior sprinter Tom Ireland (Exeter, N.H.) and senior captain Justin Dubois (Saskatoon, SK) both missed time in the pool while studying abroad. Ireland has the second-fastest 50 freestyle in school history, while Dubois holds the school record in the 400 individual medley and is part of three relay records.

Sophomores Patrick Dean (Atlanta, Ga.), Ryan Adams (Richmond, Vt.), and Mitch Bartkiewicz (Peabody, Mass.) had fine first seasons with Colby. Dean will be strong in the breaststroke, Adams will race in the butterfly, and Bartkiewicz will go in the individual medley races.

Junior Chris DeSantis (Wellesley, Mass.) returns in the breaststroke and IM races, while the Mules will hope for points from sophomore diver Ian Cross (Rome, N.Y.).

In the pool, team members are asked to become better athletes by improving their ability to manipulate their environment, both physically and mentally. Team members are encouraged to train year-round, with the season running from November 1 through mid-March. Conditioning, strength training, core strength and flexibility, technique development, and nutrition provide the focus for training design. The season is divided into five sections, each focusing on a specific goal of physiological development. The first two phases focus on technique, endurance, and core strength. The third stage is both athlete- and race-specific and includes intense threshold training. Upon the conclusion of the annual Florida training trip, the team enters the fourth phase and focuses on specific speed with a balance of aerobic training. Rest, recovery, and race preparation are the mainstays of the final stage as the team tapers for the NESCACs at the end of February and the NCAAs in mid-March.

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