Wingate, N.C.----The nationally-ranked Wingate University men's and women's swimming teams return to the pool tomorrow with a 2:30 p.m. meet at Queens University of Charlotte. The Bulldogs' event at Barton scheduled for Saturday has been canceled. Fans are limited to family members only. Masks or face coverings are required for entry to Queens' Levine Center.
 
In the January CSCAA/NCAA Division II top 25 national rankings, the Wingate women are No. 7, while the Bulldog men are No. 10. The Queens women are No. 1, while the Royals are No. 2 on the men's listing.
 
The Wingate University athletic communications office caught up with the six WUSWIM team captains to get their thoughts on January training and the upcoming championship season (an interview transcript follows).
 
Kate Agger (Broomall, Pa.)
 
Heading into the second half of our season is always an exciting and fun time for swimmers. January has traditionally been one of the hardest training months as we strive to get swimmers ready for the upcoming big meets…this year was no exception. Since returning from the holiday break on January 2, everyone has been hard at work putting in daily double practices six days a week. With this training phase behind us, it's time to focus on our upcoming meets. I believe we can position ourselves to be extremely competitive with lots of fast swims. During our inter-squad meet last Friday (1/14), many swimmers surprised themselves with how well they swam, especially given how tired their bodies were from the weeks of tough training. It was a huge confidence booster for many and an excellent sign of great swims yet to come! As a captain, I am so proud of the team's hard work, dedication and commitment heading into the new year!

Anna Miram (Ludvika, Sweden)
 
January training has been really tough for all of us, but our hard work has given us a great base to start our taper from. The women's team is excited to finally start championship season and swim really fast!
 
Lily Sanocki (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
January is one of the most exciting and crucial parts of the swim season for our team. During this month, we do some of our most intense training in preparation for our championship season. This year, we had an inter-squad meet at the end of our winter training. This was an exciting meet, because we saw some very fast swimming despite having just finished two weeks of doubles' training. This sets Wingate swimming up for a very fast remainder of our season. I'm very excited to see some outstanding swims from my teammates at conference and nationals, which is just around the corner. 
 
Slava Ohnov (Kiev, Ukraine)
 
I believe the Wingate swimming teams faced a lot of obstacles in January, such as being away from family in holiday season, having a huge amount of practices, having problems with getting back to Wingate from home and facing new restrictions because of Covid-19. I can keep writing in this endless list but the truth is, I truly appreciate the way the team handled all these obstacles, because it's required a lot of focus, strong mentality, self-criticism and sacrificing. The team has proven to themselves that they are capable of achieving big things in this season. I'm looking forward to see what we can do and what we will do in the conference and NCAA meets. 

James Reindl (Cedar Point, N.C.)

January is always quite a tough month; both mentally and physically for the team. The men's team has done a great job coming off of the holidays ready to work and compete. The guys have done a great job of keeping the values of our team intact and chasing after the goals we set. Coming down the stretch I am excited to see what we can do at conference. WU What? WU Swim!
 
Jonas Soerensen (Aabyhøj, Denmark)

The swimming teams resumed practices on January 3. It has been a couple of very hard weeks of practice; however, the teams have done an excellent job of pushing each other every single day. There is no doubt in my mind that the team will be ready for the championship season. WU What? WU Swim!
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 24 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.