The men and womenıs swimming and diving teams tested their strength against Iowa State last Friday, Dec. 1.

Although the Oles lost, they looked strong against the Division I team. After a tough week of training, the tired team performed surprisingly well at a meet designed to give some of the better swimmers a bigger challenge.

"When we go down there, we donıt worry about winning," said Dave Hauck, long time coach of the swimming and diving team. Instead of a victory, the teams went in search of good competition, and that is what they found.

"We just tried to race well," said Jim Chase. The swimmers did exactly that, coming home with an astonishing thirty-six season best times, including four life-time personal records. One of the more successful Oles was first-year Jake Hvistendahl, who qualified for Nationals in the 100 yard backstroke with his time.

The teams already have seven meets under their belts, including a successful dual meet against Gustavus Adolphus College. Last year, the Oles lost to Gustavus in a dual meet, breaking their undefeated record in the conference for the first time since 1980.

In November, they creamed Gustavus in a dual meet, allowing their main goal, a Conference Championship, to come back into view. They did this despite the absense of two of their better swimmers, who are studying abroad this semester.

The teams also traveled to the University of Minnesota to challenge some powerful Division I teams, including the Air Force team. Referring to the Division I teams, Coach Dave Hauck said, "Itıs a challenge for some of the better swimmers."

This year, the teams are motivated to recapture the Conference Championship. "All weıre trying to do is to put ourselves in position to win the conference," said Coach Hauck. Dave Hauck and his son Robert Hauck are busy building the teams for conference.

The MIAC Conference Meet will be co-ed this year for the first time. This fits with the teamıs sense of unity between the menıs and womenıs teams. "We just donıt think of each other as two separate teams," said Emily Bendson, a sophomore on the team.

The teams are also hoping to send up to ten individuals to Nationals. The men have several strong relay teams, the 200 yard medley relay, the 400 yard medley relay, and the 800 yard free relay, which each have a good chance of qualifying for Nationals. "The menıs 200 medley relay continues to get closer to the state cut," said Adam Lukens, a sophomore on the team.

Junior Kyle Rudsor and senior Gabe Kortuem are returning divers, who both qualified for Nationals last year, and they are working hard to qualify again.

On the womenıs team, Anna Guenther is looking to make Nationals in the 100 or 200 yard breaststroke.

The teams have been putting in a lot of hours in the pool‹two hours a day or more. "It is really amazing‹the amount of work they put in," said Coach Dave Hauck. All their work is beginning to pay off, with progressive improvement in times every meet.

"We all push each other to do our best," said Bendson. With their hard work, the swimmers have come together to form a team with great depth.

While most Olaf students will go home over most of break, the swim team will be going on their traditional training trip to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Fun along with fitness is a major part of the trip.

"The teams become a lot closer," said Coach Hauck. They will train there for eight days over break, preparing them to plunge in against Macalester College on Jan. 12, when they return.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the womenıs toughest competition within the conference will probably come from Carleton. The greatest challenge for the men, not surprisingly, will be to keep their times faster than the Gustavus swimmers.