{"id":422570,"date":"2020-03-14T18:10:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-15T01:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=422570"},"modified":"2021-03-16T16:21:25","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T23:21:25","slug":"ncaa-swimming-cancellation-powerful-stuff-when-you-have-to-mess-with-kids-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-swimming-cancellation-powerful-stuff-when-you-have-to-mess-with-kids-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Swimming Cancellation: ‘Powerful Stuff When You Have to Mess With Kids’ Dreams’"},"content":{"rendered":"

After the NCAA swimming championships were canceled because of the coronavirus, the emotional toll of the monumental decision began to rise.<\/p>\n

Anger.<\/p>\n

Sadness.<\/p>\n

Disappointment.<\/p>\n

Devastation.<\/p>\n

While everyone seemingly is on the same page about this having to happen, it still is devastating to athletes missing their final competitions \u2014 especially the seniors. It leads to an endless list of: \u201cWhat ifs?\u201d for NCAA swimming.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the biggest things, the \u2018what ifs?\u2019 It was such an abrupt end,\u201d Michigan senior Miranda<\/strong> Tucker<\/strong><\/a> told Swimming World<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Tucker was a senior poised to make a run at the NCAA swimming title in the 100 breaststroke.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt hurts a lot. I am not gonna lie. I had been feeling the best I had all year. Everything was going in the right direction,\u201d Tucker said. \u201cI finally had a true belief in myself. I am capable of great things and I was ready to let it rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was not alone.<\/p>\n

Seniors across the country were looking to make their final mark on the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first heart-felt thoughts go out to the seniors. It is an absolute nightmare. It is powerful stuff when you have to mess with kids\u2019 dreams,\u201d Georgia coach Jack Bauerle<\/strong> said. \u201cIt is like all dressed up and nowhere to go. All the banners were in the pool when we got there, the place looked perfect and then no meet. It was a downer.\u201d<\/p>\n

How about the team race? Would Stanford’s depth reign supreme again? Would upstart Virginia or Cal or Tennessee be able to catch them? Could Michigan and NC State break into the trophies? Could Florida surge back into the top 10? Would USC’s relays propel the Trojans even higher this year?<\/p>\n

For the women\u2019s meet, the list of senior contenders is nearly too long to list.<\/p>\n

Cal\u2019s Abbey Weitzeil<\/strong><\/a>, Wisconsin\u2019s Beata Nelson<\/strong><\/a>, and USC\u2019s Louise Hansson<\/strong><\/a> were all looking to cement their legacy after winning national championships last year.<\/p>\n

Stanford\u2019s Katie Drabot<\/strong><\/a> was looking for a redemption meet after how her junior NCAAs went.<\/p>\n

“It is not easy at all. I wish I had a chance to show everyone what I have been working for this year. This is not the way I wanted to end my senior year. But it is more important to stay safe and stay healthy and try to get back to a normal life,” Drabot said. “One thing that has really helped me is that it is not just me. So many people are experiencing the same thing. That at least is comforting. But I really feel bad for those seniors who same in their last meets without them knowing.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

NC State\u2019s Ky-lee Perry<\/strong><\/a> was looking to prove she was an elite sprinter with a fast finish. Georgia senior 200 free specialist Veronica Burchill<\/strong>, OSU miler Molly Kowal<\/strong>, Tennessee\u2019s Tess<\/strong> Cieplucha<\/strong>, Louisville\u2019s Grace Oglesby<\/strong> and Minnesota senior breaststroker Lindsey Kozelsky <\/strong>were all in line to win their first individual title.<\/p>\n

How about the what-could-have-been battle between Weitzeil, Tennessee senior Erika Brown<\/strong> and Arkansas senior Anna Hopkin<\/strong> in the sprints?<\/p>\n

Or the backstroke seniors with Nelson, Kentucky\u2019s Asia Seidt<\/strong> and Ali Galyer<\/strong>, Florida\u2019s Sherridon<\/strong> Dressel<\/strong>, Virginia\u2019s Megan Moroney<\/strong> and Texas\u2019 Claire Adams<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Those are just a few of the elite seniors who made the NCAA swimming women’s meet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been keeping contact with a lot of seniors around the NCAA. Lindsey (Kozelsky) and I have been texting each other. We are all in this together,\u201d Tucker said. \u201cAll the swimmers have banded together making sure we are all OK and trying to give each other hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Tucker, Nelson, Weitzeil, Perry and others, that hope is aided by the fact that their swimming careers are not over. They are hoping to compete at the U.S. Olympic trials.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t just give up. There is still the Olympic trials and the future ahead of us,\u201d Tucker said.<\/p>\n

But some of the seniors who missed out are finished. Some made the NCAA meet for the very first time and will never get that experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is for the greater good and beyond sports,\u201d Tucker said. \u201cBut you can\u2019t deny that it is hurting a lot of us.\u00a0Everything was going great and we were ready to go.\u00a0We sat down and Mike Bottom\u2019s voice started to crack. I am going through the stages of grief. I was in disbelief, then anger. This is another thing we have to adapt to.\u00a0 This is something that we are all still trying to piece together.\u00a0 There is still the understanding that this is something that had to happen for those around us. If one of us got sick, it would affect all of us.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tucker\u2019s career has been full of adversity, which doesn\u2019t make this any easier, but has helped her deal with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have had so many things happen to me in my career help me respond to this. My whole career has been a bunch of rocky roads, tackling my physical health and mental health. If I was able to get through all of those obstacles, this is just another one,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope that this all calms down soon so people can get back to work. But the biggest things is staying healthy and taking care of everyone else around you. It is so much better in the long run. I truly feel for the seniors who this was the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just about everyone agrees that these drastic measures had to be taken, but the sting and the \u201cWhat ifs?\u201d will never go away.<\/p>\n

Extraordinary Events In Swimming History:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil and Japan have all had major meets affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while in the United States, the NCAA Championships have been cancelled and USA Swimming has imposed a 30-day suspension on all events, while Canada is considering what to do about its Olympic trials early next month. In Italy, where swimmers are struggling to maintain normal routines, can\u2019t get to practice and in some cases find pool time, a #stopolympics campaign was launched by the Nuoto\u00a0website<\/a> calling on solidarity among swimming nations to recognise that Olympic preparations have been blown off course and that it would be in the interests of fairness to postpone the Games for a time of calm beyond the coronavirus crisis.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Our coverage:<\/em><\/p>\n