For a week of training during Winter Break, the Ball State University men's and women's swimming and diving teams went to Fort Pierce, Fla.
Co-coaches Laura Seibold-Caudill and Bob Thomas said the trip is used as a bonding experience for the team, a chance to get away from Muncie and to allow the team to practice against teams they wouldn't regularly compete against.
"This year was one of the best training sessions we've ever had in Florida," Seibold-Caudill said. "This trip was a great mental boost for our team. We went two hours of practice in the morning and two hours of practice in the afternoon and the team had a lot of free time to go to the beach and bond together."
This year, the teams competed against defending NCAA champions Auburn University, top 25 team University of Kentucky and host school Indian River Community College, who is one of the top junior college teams in the nation, Thomas said.
"I've been going to Florida for 31 years now, and from what I've seen, Indian River has the ideal facility for us to practice in," Thomas said. "When something works, I don't like to change things."
Both coaches said they were confident the training in Florida has prepared the team for the last part of the season. Saturday both Cardinal teams compete against Eastern Michigan University, who are the defending Mid-American Conference women's champions and men's MAC runner-ups, at 1 p.m. in the Lewellen Aquatic Center.
"My goal for the weekend is to have everyone swim a season best time," Thomas said. "[Eastern Michigan] is the best team in the conference - what else can I say?"
The women's team will have two meets in three days as they also compete at Illinois State University Monday.
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