Catching Up With The Hamline Pipers

By Allie Clark and Wilson Josephson, Swimming World College Interns
This week we had the pleasure of talking with Victor Horgos Lara, a junior freestyle specialist on the Hamline University swim team. We chatted about Hamline team history, competition outside of the water, and how they are feeling just a month out from competing at the MIAC championship meet.

Can you tell us something not many people know about the Hamline Pipers swim and dive teams?

Victor Lara: The women’s swim team is the only sports team at Hamline to have won the MIAC Championship. They won four times in a row from 1982-1986.

Hamline has had smaller swim teams in the past, but recently your teams have grown. What changed?

VL: The team has grown exponentially over the past two years. Since the new head coach Ryan Hawke came to Hamline University last season, the team has improved their performance at conference by placing more athletes in the finals. Furthermore, the recruitment program has also been a success as the women’s team has more than doubled in size. They brought on nine new members this year, and the men’s team gained six new swimmers.

That’s great to hear that your team is growing! Besides swimming, is there anything that you all do outside of the pool as a group?

VL: This season our team is focused on winning the Piper Cup, which is a competition between all the sports teams at Hamline. Teams can score points by attending other teams’ games, participating in community service, and attending meetings hosted by the athletic director. Your team’s MIAC finishing place, cumulative GPA, and achievements like MIAC/Hamline Athlete of the week also have point values which go toward the Piper Cup.

The winner receives $1,000 towards their program. Over the winter break, we renovated the men’s locker room and cleaned the pool area as community service. The hard work and team spirit brought the team even closer for the rest of the season.

Wow! Good luck with the Piper Cup. With MIAC being just over a month away, what is Hamline going to focus on at the big meet?

VL: The men’s team is focusing on reducing the point difference between Hamline and St. John’s from MIAC last year. One returning big hitter is MIAC is diver, Skiah Garde Garcia (‘18). He placed first on the 3-meter and second on the 1-meter up against other MIAC divers at the Jean Freeman Invite.

For the swimmers, big points will come from flyer/breaststroke/IM specialist Connor Benson, distance freestyler Hodd Gorman, and distance/IMer Victor Horgos Lara. On the women’s team, distance specialist Jennie Dwyer, backstroker/flyer Kaytlin Allee, and diver Kayla Hennum will lead the way at MIAC.

Best of luck to Victor and his teammates as they prepare for the MIAC Championship meet and as they compete for the Piper Cup. Their next competition will be against the University of Minnesota – Morris on Friday, January 23 at home.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use