Stevens Men’s and Women’s Swimming teams competed in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships from February 10 to February 13. Earning 1480.5 points, 13 gold medals, two silver medals, and three bronze medals, the men’s team won their third consecutive MAC Men’s Swimming title. With 1138 points and nine medals, the women’s team finished in second place.
In an email interview with The Stute, Head Men’s and Women’s Swim Coach Adam Schneider, 2022 MAC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year, spoke about the championships and the group of swimmers he trained throughout the season.
“Our mindset going into [the] MAC Championships was that of being an underdog,” Schneider said. He stated that though the men’s team was projected to win, the women’s team was projected to finish fifth. Despite the teams not having the best seedings going into the meet, Schneider stated that both he and the teams were “confident in our training” and knew that they could significantly drop their times. Schneider spoke positively about the swim teams that he became head coach of this past year, and stated that both were “so much fun to be around day in and day out, [which] made the season really fly by.”
Going into the MAC Championships, Schneider remarked that he felt “very confident that both teams, leading into the meet, had the potential to win.” He believed that the men had a little more of a cushion since they were the projected winners, but acknowledged that they “matched up well against the competition in a lot of our deepest events.” With respect to the women’s team, he stated that they had “a lot of time to drop and places to move up,” and though a win would have been the best possible outcome, “finishing in a solid second place was still a great accomplishment,” especially considering they were projected to take fifth.
Regarding the competition, Schneider said that on the women’s side, the Messiah Falcons “really came to race and did so fantastically, [which pushed] our women along the way.” He also stated that for both the men’s and women’s teams, the Widener Lions added pressure, which facilitated a faster swimming environment. When asked what his reaction was to the teams receiving first and second place, Schneider stated, “I was extremely happy and proud of both our Men’s and Women’s Teams’ performances.”
Schneider also acknowledged some of the swimmers who significantly stepped up and had big swims in different events throughout the meet. He highlighted senior Ali Kolenovic in the 200 Backstroke, as he broke the school record by 0.08 seconds, and earned an NCAA Selection time of 1:47.00, which the two of them “had been working toward all year;” Schneider commented that “to see it come to fruition was great.” He also said that sophomore Heather Maclachlan’s 200 Butterfly was “a great race.” Maclachlan battled through injuries throughout the season, and Schneider explained that to see her win “one of the hardest events in swimming really spoke volumes about the type of competitor she is.” He also mentioned sophomore Claire Hannan, who took gold in “an amazing” 200 Backstroke, sophomore Phong Tran and freshman Olivia Shusta with their “outstanding” 400 Individual Medleys (IM), and freshman Sophie Patz’s win in the 200 IM as being “special.” Schneider stated that “the list really goes on and on, [but] I think everyone had at least one swim that really shined.”
Schneider reflected on his experience with all the swimmers this past season, stating, “I can’t say enough positive things about our athletes, they all worked so hard, swam so fast and truly earned all the drops they achieved. With this being my first season as Head Coach, there is no doubt that this team in particular will always have a place in my heart.” He looks forward to the teams becoming tandem MAC Champions next season.
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