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Cardinal Roster
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Cardinal
Season Bests |
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Cardinal Schedule
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| Upcoming Events: Fri., Oct. 27: Luther at SMU, 6 p.m. Sat., Oct. 28: SMU at Carleton/St. Olaf Relays, Northfield, Minn. |
numbers finally start to add up for SMU's Lindquist
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Danielle
Braun Record-holder in 100, 200 breaststroke |
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Brian
Joyce Men's team captain |
Four in 2003.
Four in 2004.
Five in 2005.
This year, however, the Cardinal head coach's men's roster is more than a handful — it's both hands, and several toes..
And Lindquist couldn't be happier.
"It's nice to be able to look out at practice and see more than four or five guys out there," said Lindquist. "It's kind of like a double-edged sword — we're still not where we want to be (in regards to roster size), but we're back to where we should be.
"We went through a couple of lean years on the guys' side," Lindquist added. "But our approach is, the past is the past — this is a whole new season."
With a whole new set of expectations.
"We're going to surprise some teams, there's no question about that," said Lindquist, whose team opens its season on Friday, Oct. 27, hosting Luther in a nonconference dual meet. "There's going to be some real head-turning this season."
Junior Brian Joyce (Chicago, Ill.) leads the charge for the SMU men, while seniors Toni Nigrelli (Kiel, Wis.), Maggie Soucheray (Woodbury, Minn.) and Kelsi Ibis (Maple Grove, Minn.) will be the leaders of the Cardinal women.
But the season's success won't rest solely on their shoulders.
Not even close.
Steve Weishalla (St. Cloud, Minn.) returns after a successful freshman campaign, while school-record holder Danielle Braun (Cold Spring, Minn.) is also back. Add to that a talented group of incoming freshmen, and it's no wonder Lindquist is so excited for the season to start.
"Not only do we have more depth, but we've also got some very talented swimmers," said Lindquist. "It's almost like starting all over — everyone is excited to get the season started."
Just how good can the Cardinals be? Lindquist isn't about to make any bold predictions, but a jump up the conference ladder isn't out of the question.
"I wouldn't say that our expectations are higher — but there's no question the anticipation level is higher," said Lindquist. "You never know what might happen when your entire season comes down to a three-day (conference) meet — if we can stay healthy, taper at the right time, I think we can make a pretty big splash."