This year finals week gives USU swimmers a break from the pool

With the fall semester coming to an end, Utah State University students are preparing for their upcoming finals and members of the USU swim club are taking a break from their everyday early morning practices.

“This time of year we start cutting back on practices during finals week,” said team captain Katie Pulley. “The practices aren’t as hard and we have minimized the amount of yardage we swim.”

USU swimmers, who are required to attend three out of the five practices a week, wake up at 6:30 each morning for two-hour long trainings.

“Practices are a commitment for students,” Pulley said. “It is hard for swimmers to motivate themselves to get up that early especially when they are so busy with homework.”

According to Pulley, school is the swim team’s first priority.

“We are just a club sport,” Pulley said. “Swimming should take a backseat during finals week so we have decided not to hold any organized practices.”

Swimmer Leia Boyd is grateful she can take a break from the pool and focus on preparing for her upcoming finals.

“It’s nice because a lot of my finals are at 7:30 in the morning,” Boyd said. “I can sleep in and I don’t have to be tired from swimming.”

Her teammate, Jenna Moore, agrees.

“It is nice to focus on your tests because there is a lot of pressure that week,” Moore said.

Pulley said the most important event is the national swim meet that takes place in April. While other sports clubs have to continue practice during finals week swimmers don’t begin demanding training until next semester.

“We can afford to make practices a little easier because we don’t have any meets we are working for right now,” Pulley said. “Our next meet isn’t until after the break.”

Captain Marcus Singleton disagrees and worries the break could put USU swimmers at a competitive disadvantage with other university swim clubs.

Singleton hopes swimmers will discipline themselves to hold private swim practices over the break.

“I encourage swimmers to practice over the break, especially the ones that are likely to go to nationals,” Singleton said.

Although Pulley and Singleton acknowledge the competitive nature of swimming, both admit the club is more about having fun.

“We take practices more seriously once it gets closer to nationals,” Pulley said. “But most swimmers don’t qualify for nationals so we just try to make the team fun and we enjoy hanging out with each other.”