Men’s Swimming and Diving Make Waves in Undefeated Regular Season

If it sounds like I don’t know what I’m talking about in this article, chances are I probably don’t. 

Hold on; let me restart.

I was asked to photograph Ohio Northern’s swimming and diving meet. As a sports photographer, I relish the opportunity to take pictures at athletic events. The only problem was that I had never been to a swim meet before. Like, ever. 

So naturally I agreed to go. 

It wasn’t until the night before the swim meet when I started feeling the weight of my decision. How long is a swim meet, exactly? Do people really wear shorts and t-shirts there when it’s below freezing outside? What does the natatorium even look like?  

A part of me is embarrassed to admit I asked those questions, but I was just being honest with myself. I had no idea what to expect that day, least of all that the men’s team had been completely dominating the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). 

It would have taken me a few clicks on Ohio Northern’s sports page to see that the men’s team had gone undefeated all season. Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the meet, camera in tow, and watched the men crush Mount Union 186-108.

In fact, the entire swim meet was more than I expected. Camaraderie filled the room as teammates supported each other from the sidelines and fans cheered from the stands. After witnessing such authentic Polar Bear pride, my mind was made up: I needed to talk with Head Coach Austin Veltman. 

I arranged a meeting with Veltman later that week, anxious to hear his thoughts on the men’s swimming and diving program. We talked about the victorious Mount Union meet from the weekend before, and he immediately credited the success to the team: “what you saw on Saturday is all them.” 

Veltman points to the team’s unwavering discipline as reason for its undefeated season. His coaching can only bring the athletes so far, and it is ultimately their decision to put in their greatest efforts every day. In a sport where improvement is not always immediate, an entire season can go by before a swimmer reaches peak performance. 

“You work incredibly hard for an insane amount of hours for as much as 20 weeks, all while waiting for one big meet in February where you finally can realize your full potential and hopefully do things that your body has never done before…That instills a lot of patience and determination and a great work ethic in athletes.” – Austin Veltman, head swimming and diving coach

The “big meet in February” refers to the OAC Championship held in Akron, OH. Swimmers and divers will face some of the top athletes in the conference for a four-day competition. This is where an entire season’s worth of training pays off.    

For nine seniors, the championship meet may be their last chance to compete as college athletes. Their performance will play a critical role in determining the team’s next steps in the postseason. 

“One thing about this team is we have a very large and influential senior class…” he shared. “They are going to play a huge role in two and a half weeks at OAC Championships, not just in terms of points scored, but just attitude, motivation, energy, leadership, [and] things like that.”

Veltman noted how this year’s upperclassmen have a diverse range of “size, speed and leadership.” The team’s talent and drive can turn a college dream into reality.

“They’ve grinded for four years. Every single year we’ve gotten a little bit better,” said Veltman. “… they’ve gotten to the point where they’re ready to do it, so I want to see them go out on top.”

I started this article knowing nothing about swimming, and, truth be told, I still understand very little of the sport. I might not know what I am talking about when it comes to swimming terminology or statistics, but I can say with confidence that the men’s swim team has the potential to accomplish great things at the championship level.