While most had the chance to keep the Thanksgiving food hangover lingering around for a little bit longer, the Rowan women’s swimming and diving team hit the pool for practice. This upcoming weekend they will be traveling to Worcester, Massachusetts, for the WPI Gompei Invitational.

After a bit of a slow start to begin the season, the Profs have been on a winning streak of four meets and finished nicely in the CMU Diving Invitational at Carnegie Mellon University two weeks ago. As well as diving against West Chester University (WCU) in Glassboro in the beginning of November. Freshman Klaudia Rzotkiewicz came in second in both the one and three-meter diving events against WCU. Sophomore Corinne Finkbinder finished sixth in the one-meter diving at the Invitational. Freshman Kelly McQueston followed Finkbinder, coming in seventh in the event.

Now-junior and team captain Miranda Coughlan finished second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 200 free. The 200 medley A relay set a Rowan record and came in third with a time of 1:49.39. Coughlan, Alex Bambrick, Gabby Gligor and Bailey Howarth made up the relay team.

The team has had plenty of time throughout the season and will continue to have time later in the year in terms of length between meets. Going into the WPI Gompei Invitational, the women will have had 12 days to prepare for the meet. Head coach Brad Bowser said his team is ready for the competition and for the progression of the season.

“I see that we are well-rested and ready to go,” Bowser said. “They’ve put the work in for the past eight weeks nine weeks, so this is sort of a precursor going into the rest of the season. It gives us a taste of where we’re at. Hopefully everything will work out great.”

Bowser liked what he saw from his team thus far in the season. He specifically liked the progression Gligor showed. So far, she set three new personal records in the 50 backstroke (29.22) and both the 50 (27.14) and 100 freestyles (57.94). 

“Miranda [Coughlan] has done her part and has stepped up and bettered her times, but Gabby [Gligor] is really a top catalyst in our women’s program and in our relays and making the medley relay even stronger,” Bowser said.

In terms of the Invitational, Bowser wants to see what one of the rookies on the team will do.

“I’d like to see what Veronica Alferez can do,” Bowser said. “In the scheme of things, I want to see what she can pan out doing this weekend for us.”

Alferez had a first place finish in the 200 freestyle earlier this year against William Paterson University as well as three second place finishes in the 100 and 200 fly and the 100 backstroke. She was also part of a second place finish in the 200 IM against Kean University earlier this month.

Rowan hits the pool on Friday at 10:45 a.m to start of the WPI Gompei Invitational.

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