Photo by Daniel Mohrmann
At first glance, roster size might be a bit of a concern, but this is nothing new for the Manitou Springs girls swim team.
The COVID-19 season of early 2021 left Manitou’s team smaller than what the Mustangs have been used to in recent years. A large senior class graduated from the program and now the team looks small in terms of quality and young in terms of experience. But that doesn’t mean the talent isn’t there.
“Last year, we were a lot smaller than anticipated as well,” coach Whitney Nuci said. “We still pretty much moved mountains so now we’re pretty much instilling to these girls that you can do anything you want to do. It’s up to you.”
Like wrestling, this season will feel way more normal compared to what the Mustangs dealt with last year. Rather than virtual meets and duals making up the entirety of the regular season schedule, the team will be able to get back to large multi-school meets, which will help the Mustangs develop their skills.
“I’m super excited and I know the girls are super excited,” Aidan Coté said. “We just didn’t have time for a lot of fast races last year, which was a bummer. Our pool is great and all, but it’s not a racing pool. To be able to go and compete around other teams again is going to be huge.”
The Mustangs finished 14th as a team at last year’s state meet. It was highlighted by Bella Kuzbek’s state championship win in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Coté finished 20th in that race, as well as the 200 freestyle, and will provide major experience and leadership for the team in its quest for more state medals this year.
“The upperclassmen taught us a lot in terms of how we’re supposed to lead,” she said. “I definitely feel like I stepped up last year and that should carry over into this year.”
The Mustangs have a lot of returning athletes, such as Coté, Hannah Drum, Grace McCumber, Cassidy Kuzbek and Theron Heim.
Despite the loss of several seniors, the roster is filled with talented swimmers who have high expectations for themselves, as well as trying to establish expectations and goals for some of the underclassmen on the team.
“I hope they don’t try (right away) to hold themselves to my standards,” Drum said. “My expectations for myself are very high and I want them to be as happy as they are (right now just) being on the team.”
That mental foundation can be crucial for their growth as swimmers — and for the program — for years to come.
For this year, Nuci is working to keep the team grounded early, given the roster turnover and the return from a coronavirus-shortened season. Wins are great, but each season serves as a marathon and not a sprint. Development and improvement might be more important to this year’s team than any team before it.
“We may not win every single (meet) because of our size,” Nuci said. “We just have to keep bringing them up and maintaining a realistic expectation.”
The Mustangs begin their season with a triangular meet at La Junta on Dec. 1.