George Washington University Athletics
Swimming & Diving Continues Growth with U.S. Open Trip
12/11/2019 2:16:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
Eleven Colonials represented Buff and Blue on national stage
Scanning the deck at McAuley Aquatic Center last week surrounded by a throng of former and future Olympians at a venue that hosted the 1996 Atlanta Games, Max Forstenhaeusler had a special appreciation for the scene.
When he arrived at GW four years ago, the German swimmer's sole goal was to improve the Colonials' standing in the Atlantic 10. After winning three straight conference titles, and before chasing a fourth in February, it was meaningful to represent the Buff and Blue on the national stage at the Toyota U.S. Open Championships.
"There's more to this meet than just your time," Forstenhaeusler said. "It's also about how you compare to the others, especially in an Olympic year. With the trials coming up in 200 days or so, you know everybody's getting ready. You can definitely feel the atmosphere when you walk on the pool deck."
Forstenhaeusler was among 11 Colonials to compete at the long-course meet alongside some of the world's best swimmers, providing an illuminating cap to a successful fall season.
GW head coach Brian Thomas hoped the trip would show his top swimmers that they belong among that distinguished group while also offering a clear look at areas for improvement.
After three days of racing, he declared that mission accomplished. The Colonials weren't rested for optimum performance, but they rose to the occasion to hold their own vs. decorated competition.
"I was definitely happy with the way that we approached it," Thomas said. "It's no secret that your best athletes are typically the ones that have the right attitude to compete at that level, and that definitely showed itself this weekend.
"Overall, the preparation for their races was pretty good. The race plan and strategy and the way they put it all together was pretty good, too.
"To be honest, the highest value for us at a meet like that is probably seeing some of the best and how they operate. For a lot of them, it's realizing 'OK, they're not all that different than I am.'"
George Aspougalis led the way for the Colonials, advancing to a pair of D finals reserved for the meet's top 18-and-under participants.
The first-year from Greece enjoyed a taste of high-level racing last summer at the European Junior Championships in Russia where he earned a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke, but this meet provided a different level of competition vs. a field dotted with pros, including 2016 Olympic breaststroke medalist Cody Miller.
After closely watching the breaststroke championship finals and then comparing it to video of his own races, Aspougalis is eager to get back to work cleaning up his technique.
"After this meet, I know I have to work on some things," said Aspougalis, who was honored for his efforts in Atlanta as the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. "I'm really positive that I'm going to work on them and try my best to improve myself."
Forstenhaeusler was one of four GW seniors in action, along with Moritz Fath, Emils Pone and Andrew Cho. That group has played a major role in the program's continued rise, and this meet represented the latest step in that development.
Forstenhaeusler posted a pair of top-100 finishes at the meet, taking 83rd in the 100m free (:51.61) and 91st in the 100m fly (:56.25). The three-time All-A-10 First Team performer was encouraged that his times were comparable to his summer performance at German Nationals when he was tapered to be at his best.
"I think the most important thing for me to take away is just seeing how those pro athletes prepare for these races," Forstenhaeusler said. "How serious they are but also how relaxed they actually are for the big finals. That's something I can definitely take away mentality-wise."
Meghan Burton put her best foot forward in the 100m butterfly, touching in 1:03.50 to finish 109th overall. The 2019 A-10 champion and GW record holder in the 100-yard butterfly, she admitted to feeling the nerves in the countdown to her swim, but she channeled that energy into a fantastic effort that was about half a second off her lifetime best in the event.
Burton credited the on-deck encouragement of the Buff and Blue contingent at the U.S. Open and a slew of text messages from the group back home for giving her the confidence to perform that way.
"I definitely think the people are what made it," Burton said. "I don't think I could've gone down there alone and swam as I did. It's just great how much support I have here, whether they're at the meet or not."
Burton and Stine Omdahl Petersen pulled double duty on the weekend, heading back to Foggy Bottom on Friday night ahead of GW's dual meet vs. A-10 foe Richmond.
They both handled the tough turnaround well to help the Colonials take down the Spiders at Smith Center Pool: Omdahl Petersen took both breaststroke events and contributed to a 200 medley relay victory, while Burton won the 100 fly and swam on a pair of winning relays.
GW's mix of individual and team success made for an exciting weekend to close a tremendous fall campaign. The Colonials added 16 new entries to their all-time top 10 lists and set a pair of program records, laying the groundwork for what's to come during their championship season.
After a short break, the Colonials will get together in Weston, Fla., for a 10-day training camp to ramp up their preparations for the stretch run. Then, they'll have three dual meets to get ready for the A-10 Championships, which will be held Feb. 19-22 at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
"Right now, you just look for growth, and I like the direction that we're headed," Thomas said. "We know that we're judged on what we do in February and March within the NCAA season, but I do see a lot of positive movement in terms of the connectivity of our team and taking on the personality traits that we like.
"It's not that we're trying to change them. If anything, we want them to feel really comfortable being themselves. When they come to the pool, it should be fun. I think they've really taken to that quite well, and that's what we'll continue to focus on. The training is what it is. The plan's all set in stone and ready to go. They just have to execute and they will."
When he arrived at GW four years ago, the German swimmer's sole goal was to improve the Colonials' standing in the Atlantic 10. After winning three straight conference titles, and before chasing a fourth in February, it was meaningful to represent the Buff and Blue on the national stage at the Toyota U.S. Open Championships.
"There's more to this meet than just your time," Forstenhaeusler said. "It's also about how you compare to the others, especially in an Olympic year. With the trials coming up in 200 days or so, you know everybody's getting ready. You can definitely feel the atmosphere when you walk on the pool deck."
Forstenhaeusler was among 11 Colonials to compete at the long-course meet alongside some of the world's best swimmers, providing an illuminating cap to a successful fall season.
GW head coach Brian Thomas hoped the trip would show his top swimmers that they belong among that distinguished group while also offering a clear look at areas for improvement.
After three days of racing, he declared that mission accomplished. The Colonials weren't rested for optimum performance, but they rose to the occasion to hold their own vs. decorated competition.
"I was definitely happy with the way that we approached it," Thomas said. "It's no secret that your best athletes are typically the ones that have the right attitude to compete at that level, and that definitely showed itself this weekend.
"Overall, the preparation for their races was pretty good. The race plan and strategy and the way they put it all together was pretty good, too.
"To be honest, the highest value for us at a meet like that is probably seeing some of the best and how they operate. For a lot of them, it's realizing 'OK, they're not all that different than I am.'"
George Aspougalis led the way for the Colonials, advancing to a pair of D finals reserved for the meet's top 18-and-under participants.
The first-year from Greece enjoyed a taste of high-level racing last summer at the European Junior Championships in Russia where he earned a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke, but this meet provided a different level of competition vs. a field dotted with pros, including 2016 Olympic breaststroke medalist Cody Miller.
After closely watching the breaststroke championship finals and then comparing it to video of his own races, Aspougalis is eager to get back to work cleaning up his technique.
"After this meet, I know I have to work on some things," said Aspougalis, who was honored for his efforts in Atlanta as the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. "I'm really positive that I'm going to work on them and try my best to improve myself."
Forstenhaeusler was one of four GW seniors in action, along with Moritz Fath, Emils Pone and Andrew Cho. That group has played a major role in the program's continued rise, and this meet represented the latest step in that development.
Forstenhaeusler posted a pair of top-100 finishes at the meet, taking 83rd in the 100m free (:51.61) and 91st in the 100m fly (:56.25). The three-time All-A-10 First Team performer was encouraged that his times were comparable to his summer performance at German Nationals when he was tapered to be at his best.
"I think the most important thing for me to take away is just seeing how those pro athletes prepare for these races," Forstenhaeusler said. "How serious they are but also how relaxed they actually are for the big finals. That's something I can definitely take away mentality-wise."
Meghan Burton put her best foot forward in the 100m butterfly, touching in 1:03.50 to finish 109th overall. The 2019 A-10 champion and GW record holder in the 100-yard butterfly, she admitted to feeling the nerves in the countdown to her swim, but she channeled that energy into a fantastic effort that was about half a second off her lifetime best in the event.
Burton credited the on-deck encouragement of the Buff and Blue contingent at the U.S. Open and a slew of text messages from the group back home for giving her the confidence to perform that way.
"I definitely think the people are what made it," Burton said. "I don't think I could've gone down there alone and swam as I did. It's just great how much support I have here, whether they're at the meet or not."
Burton and Stine Omdahl Petersen pulled double duty on the weekend, heading back to Foggy Bottom on Friday night ahead of GW's dual meet vs. A-10 foe Richmond.
They both handled the tough turnaround well to help the Colonials take down the Spiders at Smith Center Pool: Omdahl Petersen took both breaststroke events and contributed to a 200 medley relay victory, while Burton won the 100 fly and swam on a pair of winning relays.
GW's mix of individual and team success made for an exciting weekend to close a tremendous fall campaign. The Colonials added 16 new entries to their all-time top 10 lists and set a pair of program records, laying the groundwork for what's to come during their championship season.
After a short break, the Colonials will get together in Weston, Fla., for a 10-day training camp to ramp up their preparations for the stretch run. Then, they'll have three dual meets to get ready for the A-10 Championships, which will be held Feb. 19-22 at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
"Right now, you just look for growth, and I like the direction that we're headed," Thomas said. "We know that we're judged on what we do in February and March within the NCAA season, but I do see a lot of positive movement in terms of the connectivity of our team and taking on the personality traits that we like.
"It's not that we're trying to change them. If anything, we want them to feel really comfortable being themselves. When they come to the pool, it should be fun. I think they've really taken to that quite well, and that's what we'll continue to focus on. The training is what it is. The plan's all set in stone and ready to go. They just have to execute and they will."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Thursday, May 21
Thursday, May 21
Thursday, May 21
Thursday, May 21