Feb. 5, 2008
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. This week we sit down with senior co-captain Arica Jacinto.
The team has won each of its meets convincingly to open up the second half of the season. To what do you attribute the team's success in 2008?
We talked a lot at the end of this past semester about how we can't just bank on the fact that we had a great first semester and assume it's just going to automatically continue into the second half. We've had to take an active role and really put ourselves in a position to keep training like we did first semester. We also have to push ourselves a little bit further because conference comes up really quick this semester. It's important that the team knows that it is necessary to be consistent and to keep racing regardless of what we did last semester. It has no effect on what we do this semester so we have to create another positive atmosphere ourselves.
Did the fact that the team's matchup with Iowa was `Senior Day' play much of a factor in your head going into the meet?
To be honest, I kind of forgot it was Senior Day. You don't really realize you're a senior until that day. I'm so used to being the person giving the seniors high-fives and tearing up. It was nice to be recognized, but it was like any other meet. You have to get up and race regardless of the occasion.
How did it feel to be honored prior to the meet?
It was great to have my mom and stepdad at the meet to support me. They've actually been there for almost every meet this season. It was really nice to celebrate all of the seniors' accomplishments and celebrate the fact that we've made it all the way through. It was also a way to reflect on all the people who didn't quite make it all the way. These past four years have been a combination of ups and downs, and to make it to Senior Day and say, "Okay, I've made it" is a huge accomplishment.
What were your thoughts after the final race had ended?
It really struck me as any other dual meet would have. The end of my career isn't for another month or so, so I try to just focus on what is right in front of me. We have Drury up next so I've been thinking about what can I do in the next couple of weeks to get better. It's important to take it little by little.
Most people have an idea of what goes into scouting sports like basketball and football, but what all goes into scouting a team in the sport of swimming?
Most teams post results from dual meets online so you look at those to get a good idea of what to expect. You look at what the competition has done during the season, their girls' best times and those kinds of things. Then you can begin to weigh the information you have. Coach does a ton of the work and does a lot of strategizing.
What kinds of things cross your mind as you begin to gear up for a race?
Personally it's best for me to totally shut off my brain and not think about things like "I better get that turn" or "I better have a fast start." That's when you start worrying about all the little things, which is counterproductive. There are some races where I know the person next to me is about the same speed and it just depends on who's having a better day. I just think about what I need to do to beat the person. I try not to worry about the technical details and just trust my training. What will happen will happen.
How did it feel to get a personal best in the 200 fly against Iowa?
It was absolutely amazing. The 200 fly is my secondary event and it's been a struggle for me to have a strong 200. I dropped almost two seconds and at this point in my career any kind of drop is amazing and a lot of fun. The girl swimming next to me was from back home in Phoenix so the whole time I was just like, "Beat the girl next to you, beat the girl next to you." I wasn't thinking about getting a personal best. It was just an added bonus.
What kinds of things, both mentally and physically, is the team focusing on heading into the final stretch of the season?
Physically, we will begin resting up quite a bit more. Mentally, the best thing to do is not to think about conference and the nitty gritty. It's another dual meet and another opportunity to push our team forward. It's a chance to get some recognition and to do things we've never done before. It's just best not to over think things too much.
How much would you say you think about conference?
It's the end of our collegiate season, so it's always in the back of your mind. But I'm not constantly worrying about it. It's never a rush and I don't get any kind of anxiety about it coming up. If it's meant to be and I've trained the right way, it's going to be a good meet. To me conference is a dual meet where we get to shave. It's just like Purdue with a little more intensity.
Is there anything you, in particular, are focusing on at this point in the season?
I think about my goals that I set at the beginning of the season, which were to final at conference and make NCAAs. Like always I'm pushing myself every day to make sure that the end of my season is the best it can be. I used to be really uptight and think about all the details, but I've learned to take things day by day and do the best I can at every practice.