Nov. 9, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Welcome to "Q&A With The Captains," a continuing weekly segment that features a question-and-answer style interview with one of Mizzou women's swimming and diving's team captains. The 2007-08 captains are junior Lori Halvorson and seniors Arica Jacinto and Sarah Menefee. This week we sit down with junior co-captain Lori Halvorson.
What were your thoughts heading into the Mizzou Dual Challenge this past weekend?
Going into the weekend I thought we would have to be a strong team to get through five dual meets over a three-day period. We were definitely a strong team. I think we were all just ready to race. We had four weekends in a row of racing and to get through this weekend was big. The girls did a great job.
The matchup with then-No. 25 Virginia Tech was the biggest of the weekend. What were your thoughts headed into the meet and what did it feel like to get the win?
We were really excited heading into the meet because rumor was that we were tied in the rankings. Our times really matched up. But we had a lot of energy and that carried us through the entire meet and allowed us to come out on top.
What is the biggest key to winning five duals in the course of a three-day weekend?
Nutrition is always key, but just being there for your teammates is what matters most. It's important to cheer for your teammates and help them swim to win.
What did you do when you got home Sunday after a long weekend in the pool?
I did homework and slept all day. I tried to recover from not only that weekend, but also the past four weekends.
The team is 7-1 on the season now after racing three top-25 teams. What does this do for the mentality of the team heading into the Purdue Invitational?
It will carry our team into next weekend and then into January and conference. We get better and better with each meet and have just kept at it.
The Tigers competed at Purdue two years ago. Can you describe your experiences there?
Racing at Purdue was a great experience and most everyone swam very well there. It's a fun meet.
How will this year be different in West Lafayette?
We're bringing in a completely different team. Our team is a lot stronger this year than two years ago. We were a great family going in two years ago but we're even closer now. That will show in the standings at the end of the weekend.
The team remained at No. 20 in Tuesday's latest College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) poll, tied with Virginia Tech. What are your thoughts on beating a team that is now tied with you?
It's good to know that we beat the team that we're tied with. I would like to see us ranked a little higher. I think we have the potential to swim just as fast if not faster than the teams ranked just ahead of us.
Is moving up in the rankings a big topic of conversation among you and your teammates?
Yeah, I would say it is. Once you're ranked you are always hungry for more. We just want to get a little higher in the rankings. Once you achieve your goal you just want that much more.
Would you be willing to throw out a guess as to what the team will be ranked in the next poll?
I would like to say that we'll be ranked 16th or 17th. Hopefully we'll be up there somewhere near No. 15.
What will you guys be doing over the next two weeks to prepare for the Purdue Invite?
We'll continue training this week and next week we'll probably decrease training a little bit and get some more rest in. We'll kind of let the last five weeks of training sink in. I think we'll be ready to race heading into Purdue.
Looking back over the past month how do you feel the team has progressed?
We have all gotten to know each other better, especially with respect to the freshmen. We've all gotten behind each other with each passing meet because it gets tougher each weekend. All of the girls are there for each other and make sure that everyone is ready to race.
Have you seen your team captain role change at all since the beginning of the season?
Arica, Sarah and I are pretty much doing the same thing as we did before. We try to be there for the team and try to motivate the girls. I think all three of us are doing a pretty good job at this point.
You were almost right on with your prediction of the Mizzou-Texas Tech football score three weeks ago. What is your prediction for Saturday's Mizzou-Texas A&M game?
I'd say Mizzou will win 28-14.