By Mikael Desanto
Contributing Writer
The St. Bonaventure men’s swimming and diving team took on the Canisius Golden Griffins this past weekend in the Reilly Center on senior night. The Bonnies picked up the victory in the matchup, outscoring the Golden Griffins by 38 points, 135 to 107.
Senior Gregg Byrne said he can see the team developing.
“A lot of people are getting better as the season goes on, which is important,” said Byrne. “It is nice to see improvement even as we are going through a tough training phase these next couple weeks.”
Byrne won the 1000-yard freestyle event, a 40-lap race, by almost seven seconds. The team also added wins in six other swimming events and three-meter diving.
But the team knows that they still have things to work on, members said.
“Accountability is a huge part of what our team is made up of,” senior Matthew Schutt said. “As a team, we need to keep each other accountable for our actions, make sure [we are] doing the right things necessary to win us another championship.”
Byrne also knows what must been done to improve his season, he said.
“As an individual, I think I have to start working on having more confidence with my front-end speed and knowing I can bring it home well,” Byrne said. “I am not a sprinter under any means, but I have been working a lot on my speed, and it is beginning to show.”
The win is the team’s second of the season, the first being against Colgate in October. The meet is also the first of only two home meets that the Bonnies will have this season.
The Brown and White will travel to the University of Pittsburgh this weekend to take part in the Pittsburgh Invitational.
“A lot of competitive teams come to the Pitt meet, so a lot of fast times will be thrown around,” Schutt said. “A lot of great races can be watched, and it leaves room for good learning experiences.”
But the meet will also be used for preparation for the rest of the season, Byrne said.
“We usually go into this meet with not many expectations, as it is our first championship format meet of the year,” Byrne said. “We use it as a platform to get used to the event order, which is extremely similar to the order at A-10’s.”
Byrne has learned from his experiences at St. Bonaventure and has words of wisdom to share with swimmers who may be preparing to enter any college swimming program, he said.
“I think the most important thing to remember is that you are a student first,” Byrne said. “It is important to remember that your school work comes first, so that you can have a good career post graduation.”
Schutt also said he has some advice for younger swimmers about being a team.
“It’s important to learn that the guys you are swimming with are your brothers for as long as you live and that they are going through the same thing you are,” Schutt said. “The training is always going to be hard, but knowing your brothers have your back makes things that much easier.”
The Bonnies will swim next in the Pittsburgh Invitational this weekend, taking place at the University of Pittsburgh.
