University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bathing Suits and Bulldog Bites: Stephanie Smith
09.23.2016 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Stephanie Smith, Junior at UNC Asheville
Backstroke/IM
Wilmington, NC
Hi Bulldogs!
I couldn't be more excited for the start of the 2016-2017 season. The team has returned to campus fit and ready to compete, and so far our practices have really shown the hard work everyone put in over the summer!
Personally, I have really loved training with the amazing new freshmen; Catherine, Adee, Skylar and Madison! They bring so much to this team in and out of the pool, and I love how much they push me (and the rest of the team) to be better in practice. Also, although I dearly miss our former assistant Rebecca, I've really enjoyed getting to know our new assistant, Daniel. Having just graduated with a degree in Exercise Science, I think his educational background and new perspectives will help us improve tremendously this year!
This past weekend, our preseason work was put to the test as we competed in our season opening meet, the Blue vs. White Intersquad. We split up into two teams and had a little friendly competition, and although White team didn't come out on top, I still had a blast! The atmosphere of comradery and sportsmanship between the competing teams just reinforced how much I love being a part of this inimitable program. The fast swims I saw this weekend have me looking forward to even faster racing in the future, like at our next meet against Davidson College and George Washington University!
Speaking of team comradery, two weekends ago we had the privilege of spending our annual team retreat at the Riggs' house on Lake Moss. Thanks to the Riggs' hospitality and our captains' tireless planning, we were able to have a fun and relaxing weekend of getting to know each other and growing closer as a team. This is always one of my favorite weekends of the school year because not only do I get to enjoy some time off with my favorite people, I also get to learn about my teammates and the adversity they've faced throughout their lives that has shaped them into the people they are today. I think we came out of the retreat weekend more connected and ready to take on this year as a team, rather than as individuals!
So far, I think our season is off to a wonderful start and I can't wait for more adventures with my best friends! Keep working hard in the pool and in the classroom, Bulldogs, this season is going to be the best one yet!
