For most college students, a trip to Puerto Rico is a time to relax and stop focusing on work.

But for the Syracuse swimming team, the focus was the work.

Customary for most college swim teams, the Orange traveled to a warmer climate to train during the semester break. For SU, the destination was San Juan, Puerto Rico, where it stayed from Jan. 2-10. The team underwent its most intense training sessions of the season in preparation for the final stretch, head coach Lou Walker said.

The final part of the team’s schedule begins Saturday at noon when the swimming and diving teams travel to Boston University for a dual meet.

That meet is the first in a stretch of five during the next month, culminating with the Big East Championships, which begin on Feb. 14. This is the most condensed part of the team’s schedule as they tune-up for the end of the conference championships.

For SU, the preparation for the end of the season began during the Puerto Rico trip. The team practiced twice a day, once in the morning and once in late afternoon. Each practice consisted of an average of 7,000 meters, a large increase from normal workouts.

‘For our purposes it serves as our most intense training period leading into the preparation for championships, which we are getting close to here,’ Walker said. ‘I think we’re in great shape to see some very good performances over the next few weeks, which is obviously what we’ve been trying to do all along.’

Aside from sunshine and sandy beaches, San Juan provided optimal facilities for midseason training. The Encantada Sports Center, where the team held daily practice, is 50 meters long and 10 lanes wide. In comparison, Webster Pool, where the team normally practices, is 25 yards long and 6 lanes wide.

The ability to practice in a meter pool instead of a yard pool was a good opportunity, Walker said. Even though college swimming measures in yards, swimming in the longer, 50-meter pools allows swimmers to swim more meters during a given practice.

Outside the pool, many of the swimmers saw the Puerto Rico trip as a chance to spend time with teammates. While class is in session, swimmers often attend one of two daily practices, and interaction time is limited. Without school, it was just swimming and relaxing.

‘There wasn’t anyone else around, so you learned a lot about people,’ said Carolyn Delkus, a freshman freestyler. ‘Even the motivation in the pool down there made it a lot easier to bond with people.’

Despite being on a Caribbean island with plenty of activities to lead a college student astray, Walker said his team stayed focused on their workouts.

‘Being in Puerto Rico, it made it a lot easier to go really fast and try your hardest,’ Delkus said. ‘The weather was awesome and swimming outdoors, and also a long course pool was a great opportunity to get better training.’

The trip also provided the team with leisure time, a luxury not normally enjoyed during the semester. Freshmen Glenn Kalata found himself splitting time between exploring San Juan and the beach.

Back in Syracuse, Kalata and his teammates are beginning to ease down their practices in preparation for the final stretch. To be successful in the end, Walker said, the team has to stay rested and be organized with their schoolwork.

‘We have to stay focused. As long as we keep our intensity up at practice,’ Kalata said. ‘Because we’re cutting down on yards, we have to work harder than we did at the beginning of the season.’

Published on January 17, 2007 at 12:00 pm