The Rowan women’s swimming and diving team has caught fire, and despite swimming in a pool, haven’t been able to be put out.

After dropping their first two meets of the season against New York University and Pace University, the brown and gold have picked up four straight wins, three of which have come against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opponents. In their last two meets against William Paterson University and Ramapo College, Rowan has put up 184 and 209 points respectively. 209 was their most since scoring 187 against Rampo in 2012.

Experience plays a big role in any task at hand. In sports, it’s obvious that the more time you spend playing, the better you’re going to perform. For the Profs, this couldn’t be more true.

“We are stronger because we are getting older,” said head coach Brad Bowser. “We’ve brought in some freshman that should, as time goes on, get stronger. I’ve really seen Miranda [Coughlan] in the sprint freestyle. She’s going to surpass where she was last year. Gabby Gligor is already faster than she was in the butterfly. Just those two alone have really transpired the team in terms of speed and depth and where we are talent-wise.”

Coughlan, a junior captain, has already solidified herself as a top swimmer at Rowan and in the NJAC. In both her freshman and sophomore seasons, she has finished top on the team in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. In the conference, she holds the top time in the 50 with 24.54, almost a whole second lead in the 100 with 53.66 and almost two seconds in the 200 with 1:57.76. Coughlan was named the NJAC Rookie of the Year in 2015 and added to her collection of awards by being selected to the NJAC first team in the 100 and 200 freestyles.

Gligor ranked first on the team in the 100 and 200 butterflies her freshman year in 2015. She was also a part of the Rowan record-breaking 200 medley relay. Gligor took first in the 100 butterfly yet again in her sophomore season and finished second on the team in the 200.

Along with the upperclassmen performances comes the mentorship that the team’s seniors have displayed throughout their years in Glassboro.

“The senior leadership of Amanda Burke, Polina Dineva and Cayleigh McCuster,” Bowser said. “They’re the ones that keep this group together, teach the way and try to continue to bring success.”

The team heads to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the CMU Diving Invitational this upcoming Friday and Saturday before going to the WPI Gompei Invitational in Worcester, Massachusetts the first weekend of December.

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