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Cardinal Roster
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Cardinal
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Cardinal Schedule
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| 2004-2005 MIAC Finish: SMU men 8th / SMU women 10th |
| Upcoming Events: Sat., Oct. 29: SMU at Luther, 1 p.m. |
leaving Lindquist feeling like it's his 1st year all over
WINONA, Minn. — When Eric Lindquist look at his 2005-2006 Saint Mary's University swimming and diving preseason roster and saw his name at the bottom with "seventh season" in parenthesis behind it, he had to do a double-take.
Seventh season? To Lindquist, it seems like the first season all over again.
"There's a real freshness, a newness about this season," said Lindquist. "When you compare this year to last year, it's almost like we have a completely new team — I feel like I did heading into my first season."
Just how "new" is this year's squad? The Cardinals' lone senior, Lisa Salm (Chilton, Wis.), is in her final year of collegiate swimming eligibility — but has never competed as a Cardinal.
"Lisa's our only senior, and yet, in the grand scheme of things, she's a 'rookie' when it comes to our team," said Lindquist, noting that Salm transferred to SMU from UW-Oshkosh, where she competed for the Titans for three seasons. "We are as young, if not younger, than any team I have had here — and that's kind of a refreshing feeling."
The Cardinals may not have any seniors, but they do have some veteran returners — including Toni Nigrelli (Kiel, Wis.), Maggie Soucheray (Woodbury, Minn.), Kelsey Ibis (Maple Grove, Minn.), Kasey Schultz (Cary, Ill.) and Brian Joyce (Chicago, Ill.) .
"We are going to need some underclassmen to step up and be the leaders this year," said Lindquist. "Swimming isn't necessarily the type of sport that you need that leadership the same way you do in hockey or basketball. Our leaders are look to more outside the pool than they are in it — and from what I've seen, we've got a number of individuals who have already stepped into those roles."
And while the "newness" of this year's teams has Lindquist smiling, it's the number of new Cardinals that has that grin stretching from ear-to-ear.
"It's great to see our numbers finally begin to climb," said Lindquist, who has seen his men's team — which boasted a grand total of four swimmers each of the last two years — double in size this year, while his women's squad has swelled to 12. "When it comes to placing (in the season-ending MIAC Championships), it's pretty tough to expect much with just four swimmers. This year we can go into the conference meet not only expecting to score, but also expecting to maybe jump up a few places.
"And on the women's side, we not only have the depth, but also the talent to really make a push up the (conference) ladder," continued Lindquist. "I really think we are going to surprise a few people this year."