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That’s no joke, either. Two years ago the mens team had only five members; this year they have 15. The team is full of new talent from first year recruiting, transfer students and even some students who aren’t new to the campus who just decided to go out for the team.

Julian Borgia was one of those recruited last year as a “slasher,” or team members who both dives and swims, and received the teams Rookie of the Year award alongside the womens winner, Aly Janzen.

“I think we’ll do a lot better this year, just because of sheer numbers and immense talent,” said Borgia. “Everybody is putting forth a lot of effort.”

Borgia’s coach agrees whole-heartedly. He is so confident with this team’s ability to step up to any challenge he can throw at them that he’s put them on a new workout schedule, one that’s much more rigorous than any the Pipers have had in the past.

The day’s workout, strangely enough, begins out of water. From 6 to 7 a.m. the team lifts weights at
Walker Field House, and from there they move to the pool to swim until 8 a.m. Some even swim longer. After all their classes are done, the team returns for a second practice later in the day.
Many might think that such a rigorous schedule would make it hard for the members of the team to keep up with school work or to have social lives, but Borgia doesn’t feel that way. He feels the early practices keep him more focused on the day ahead. After all, he’s done more work before 8 a.m. than most non-athletes do all day, although he would never say or think it. Apparently Borgia isn’t the only one on the team who feels that way.

“I’ve started throwing harder sets (workouts) at the team, and they’ve all been more than positive,” said Hanson. He recalls one practice in particular, where the team had one of their hardest workouts all year.
Throughout the entire workout, Hanson said, the team members were cheering for one another and keeping each other motivated. “I walked out of that practice elated.”

Hopefully that same elation will follow coach Hanson and the team to their meets. They’re already out to a strong start, and the season has only just begun. The womens team didn’t win their opening exchange against Macalester, but they did come closer than they have come in years. The Scots easily crushed the team last year, but this year the Pipers were defeated by a split second touch in a relay.

“[The women’s team] is pretty close to where we were last year, and I’m hoping that we’ve improved because of our veteran swimmers and the effort that our new recruits,” said Hanson. He believes that the team will win several meets that they lost last year.

The mens team also showed promise by beating two school records in the meet, though Macalester literally didn’t bring a team. Even in exhibition, where the team raced only against their own teammates they were able to swim faster than any Hamline student has ever swum before.

First year Jake Burgess cut his way through the water and into the record books by swimming the mens 100 yard backstroke in 54.68 seconds, edging out a record that has stood since 1979. Later, alongside teammates Brian Viger, John Tapia, and John Burgess (who also happens to be his older brother and a team captain) shattered the old record in the 200 yard medley relay by more than a second. The new record stands at 1.43.07.

With new blood and strong veterans, coach Hanson hopes his team will have the break-out season he’s been looking for since he arrived here. Last year he was considered a part time coach, but this year he became Hamline’s Aquatic Director, which gives him more time on campus and with the team. This added attention, along with the infusion of tallent the team has seen should lead to some big gains from last year for the team.

“We don’t want to count anything before it happens, but you can’t deny that we have made the biggest improvement in the conference,” Hanson said.