For some swimming and diving teams, a top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships would be a dream season. Having the honor of 25 athletes competing on the highest stage would be good enough.

But reaching those goals is child’s play for the Grand Valley State University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams – they want more.

“The majority of our NCAA qualifiers are back again this year, and along with a strong freshman class, we’re excited,” said GVSU head coach Andy Boyce. “It’s early and we have a long season ahead of us, but everyone is excited to see what we can accomplish.”

Boyce and his players have embraced high expectations as they begin the season. From last year’s men finishing in fourth place at Nationals to the ninth-place finish for the women, the success the teams saw last year is just another step in working towards national prominence.

In only his fourth season as head coach, Boyce has already led both the men and women to a GLIAC Championship. This season, the programs look to capture another conference title and improve on last year’s placings at Nationals.

“We want to win the conference championship on both sides, and if we put the pieces together at the right time we have a chance to be a national power,” said Boyce, the GLIAC Men’s Coach of the Year in 2008 and Women’s Coach of the Year in 2009. “We’ve had two top ten finishes at nationals in school history and both have come during the last two seasons.”

Consistency has been a staple of the Boyce era at GVSU. Not only does the success help boost confidence during the season, but the players feel that momentum can carry over into the next season.

“Our competitive spirit has to be our greatest asset as a team,” said senior mid-distance swimmer Jordan Schrotenboer. “We are never satisfied and we know we can match or improve on last year’s finish.”

Having 16 athletes seated in the top-16 in last season’s National Championships was a school record, and with an influx of talented freshman this season, the team is looking to build upon that number.

“The NCAA reduced the amount of athletes for each side this season, so we’re going to have to work hard to get back,” Boyce said. “It’s definitely a challenge, but I think as a team we are up to it.”

Successful seasons can sometimes lead to a feeling of entitlement the next season. The “hangover effect” some teams feel can be tough to shake early on, but senior captain Erin Lynch said that is not a worry.

“If people’s heads get big, we know how to bring them down,” said Lynch, who was part of the 2009 All-American 800-yard freestyle relay team. “We push each other in practice, so that competitiveness helps us stay focused.”

The men, who return with back-to-back GLIAC championships, are strong in all of the stroke events, but with 18 freshman on the 35-man roster, inexperience could be a problem early on.

“We swim in Milwaukee against (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) this weekend, and they are a very good team,” Boyce said. “It’s going to be a big test for the freshman because you never know how they’ll react during their first few meets.”

On the women’s side, the team’s No. 1 goal is to reclaim the conference championship they won in 2008-09. Last year’s team finished second to Wayne State University in the conference meet, and Lynch and company are eager to regain the crown this season.

“Everyone swam to their potential last season, and we want to see that again this year,” she said. “If we improve out skills in the pool, it will help improve our finish in the postseason.”

Both teams will swim in Milwaukee tomorrow before beginning GLIAC play against Lewis University next weekend.

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