Diana Pimer: Overcoming a Difficult Weekend at the MIT Invitational

By Diana Pimer, Swimming World College Intern

Editor’s Note: It was a disappointing weekend for our Keene State senior Diana Pimer, one of our great college interns. She just missed her NCAA B cut in her primary event, but decided to be honest about the weekend with this heartfelt mini-journal from the MIT Invitational.

6:00 p.m., precisely, on Friday night.

I found myself behind the blocks at the Massachusetts Institution of Technology pool with three of my teammates. At 6:08, I watched my freshman teammate Hope Walsh race her heart out in the leadoff leg of the 800-yard freestyle relay. Predominantly a breaststroker, I was going second in the relay, right where I belong. Never having broken 2:00 minutes before, I was happier than I have been in a while with my swimming when I realized I clocked in at 1:56.22. What was even better was when our group of four set a new school-record in the event by three tenths of a second. This is a great way to start off a meet, I thought to myself.

Photo Courtesy: Alison Bartlett

6:45 p.m., approximately, on Saturday night.

I found myself behind the blocks for the 100-yard breaststroke final. Before that morning, the last time I had a best time in this event was my conference championship meet my senior year of high school. My time, 1:05.8, was just shy of an NCAA ‘B’ cut, but I was thrilled nonetheless, to finally achieve success in this event. And, besides, I’m a 200 breaststroker anyway; the ‘B’ cut would come.

6:45 p.m., maybe, on Sunday night.

I found myself behind the blocks for the 200-yard breaststroke final. After a great warm-up and putting on a brand new suit, this was my moment. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my moment to get that cut, it was just my moment to learn, and to learn a lot. I gave everything I had in that moment, but everything was not enough.

With my face in the gutter, almost ashamed to look at anybody surrounding me, four seconds off my lifetime best, and a full second off the ‘B’ cut, “What am I doing wrong?”

These were the only thoughts I had in my mind.

“Time to be a captain and step in your next races,” my coach Jack Fabian said.

And he was right. In that moment this was the only option. And I did just that, I never gave up, but as the men’s events finished and swimmers flooded the locker room to change, with “We’re done” and “We can go home” flying around the deck, I didn’t want to leave.

Photo Courtesy: Gregory Gowern

7:25 p.m., I think, on Sunday night.

I found myself behind the warm-down pool, eight open lanes, goggles on, standing, crying. Some say swimming isn’t worth crying over, I think the tears represent the water we’ve invested so much of our lives into.

This was the pool I’ve made countless memories in: team travel meets with my club team growing up, making my first ‘B’ cut my sophomore year, and having fun and swimming fast with countless friends I’ve made throughout the years. On Sunday, this pool brought me disappointment. Although I certainly can’t blame the pool, I can’t blame my coach, or my preparation, this was not a time for excuses. So I hopped in, tears and all, and swam my cool down.

This is normally enough for me to get over a bad swim. However, this one was different, for reasons, some personal, and some I’m still not really aware of. A long bus ride home and a good night’s sleep later, I was still upset.

Luckily for me, I’m on a team full of amazing athletes who are there for each other in any time of need, probably like most other college teams across the nation. Fortunately, I have some of the best teammates around.

Photo Courtesy: Alison Bartlett

4:05 p.m., exactly, on Monday night.

One of my best friends and greatest competitors Corrina (Chickee) Nickerson sent me exactly what I needed. As an aspiring writer, she sent me the wise words of swimming enthusiast Mike Gustafson. “When You Don’t Accomplish Goals,” a somewhat harsh but overall incredible piece to read, inspired me to think of why I am even swimming for Keene State if I am not making it to NCAAs, a question with obvious answers.

But instead of focusing on my own personal anecdotes, I was hoping to get some more inspiration from my competitors and friends.

In lieu of my own emotional weekend, I figured the other members of my conference might have some similar or even opposite reactions to the weekend that I did.

Regardless, I wanted to document some of the amazing benefits of Division 3 swimming and diving. Reasons people can look back on in either their crying in the warm-down pool or school-record setting moment.

“6 Reasons Why NEISDA Swimmers are Thankful”

1. “I’m thankful for swimming because it has introduced me to amazing people who I know will forever be apart of my life,” – Sarah Basile, Western Connecticut State University Swimming

2. “I am thankful for swimming because as a senior I get to watch all the new swimmers improve with each meet, and how we all become a family to one another,” – Patrick Boyle, Norwich University Swimming

3. “I’m thankful to be a swimmer where my academics are the priority but I can still participate and thrive in a competitive collegiate sport!” – Alex Vutech, Simmons College Swimming

4. “I am thankful for my team being an automatic family and support system for me at Colby-Sawyer. As a freshman this year it was so helpful to have all of my teammates and know that I could count on them for anything,” – Anna Gaskill, Colby-Sawyer College Swimming

5. “I am thankful that I can be a part of a program that allows me to challenge myself both in the pool and in the classroom,” – Kelly Dolyak, University of New England Swimming

6. “I am thankful for swimming because it has given me the opportunity to grow as an individual in and out of the pool. I cherish the time I get to spend with teammates who have become some of my life long friends,” – Rebecca Stewart, Eastern Connecticut State University Swimming

With three months still left in our regular season, anything is possible. NEISDA swimmers will be taking final exams, traveling home, and preparing for upcoming training trips this week. In-between the madness, it is important to look back and remember why we do this sport in the first place…even if we do not finish in first place.

Photo Courtesy: Alison Bartlett

Diana Pimer is a senior breaststroke/IMer at Keene State College who has won 10 NEISCA championship titles in her career. Prior to joining KSC, Pimer swam for the Hopkins Mariner Swim Team as well as the West Haven High School squad. She’s also been a summer league head coach for the Rockingham Area Swim Team.

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