CSB and SJU swimmers and divers train in Puerto Rico

Over winter break, the CSB+SJU swim and dive teams took a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This week-long training trip kicked off the peak training part of the season for the swim team.

“Our training was intense and difficult, but it was something our coach knew we could handle,” junior swimmer Emi Wagner said. “Our team challenged and supported each other through the workouts.”

The team trained twice a day in the pool starting at 6 a.m. with an additional dryland workout during the day. The dryland workouts consisted of ab exercises followed by a form of cardio. The team swam upward of 8,000 yards and trained for over four hours every day.

“The sets we did were made for the sole purpose of making us faster and stronger. All this work is getting the team ready for our championship season just around the corner,” first-year swimmer Megan Bartels said.

The training week was meant to challenge each individual athlete’s physical and mental strength. Every swimmer and diver pushed their peak yardage/meters, and the week’s focus on training allowed the coaches to be more intentional with workouts.

“I think the team as a whole got a lot stronger, and it was really fun to see everyone achieving goals they set for themselves within each practice,” junior swimmer Lindsay Smutka said.

Although the training was difficult, the weather and training facility helped keep spirits up.

“The pool we swam in was open air, and every morning practice we got to watch the sun gradually rise over the island. [It’s] something I don’t ever want to forget,” junior swimmer Scott Spangler said.

Outside of practice, the team was able to fully enjoy Puerto Rico. The hotel’s proximity to the beach made it easy for the team to enjoy themselves between practices.

“We had time in between pool training sessions to relax, read, socialize and explore the beach, ocean or even just the hotel pool,” Bartels said.

There were many team activities built into the day, such as game nights or trivia competitions. Often, these activities took place outdoors. On their first night, the team took a walk on the beach at sunset. Later, they went kayaking to an area with bioluminescent algae, according to Smutka. The team got one whole day off during the trip and spent it visiting Old San Juan. This day was a highlight for many athletes.

“We went to two old forts, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San. We found a street market, an old church, a great gelato place and a path right by the ocean that wound around the city,” Smutka said.

Old San Juan’s history and culture were particularly memorable for the team.

“My favorite part [of the trip] was probably getting to speak Spanish with local Puerto Ricans,” Spangler said. “I just spent last semester abroad in Chile, so it was really exciting to get to use some of the Spanish I had spent the better part of last semester learning, as well as comparing Puerto Rican Spanish to Chilean Spanish.”

The team enjoyed dinner at a Puerto Rican restaurant called Café El Punto one night, which was one of many meals enjoyed in Puerto Rico.

“The food in Puerto Rico was amazing. We got to explore different restaurants and enjoy treats like smoothies or ice cream,” Bartels said.

Although the trip was a lot of hard work, the team was still able to create plenty of memories. The bonds created in Puerto Rico strengthened the team.

“Swimming is a tough sport in the fact that it can be very individual, so team bonding is vital to our success in the future, especially at MIAC Championships. It’s much easier to get lifetime best times when you know you have your teammates supporting you,” Bartels said.

The swim and dive teams are back in action at the Warner Palaestra Pool against Gustavus on Saturday, Jan. 28 starting at 1 p.m.