Simmons College Swimming & Diving Blog

Meet Alyssa

Hi, my name is Alyssa Rizzo, and I'm from Attleboro, MA, right next to Rhode Island. I'm a first-year at Simmons and this is my first year as a diver on the team. I was a former gymnast for 13 years, so although I had no prior diving experience, it was a natural transition for me and I adapted to the sport very quickly. Since diving is a very mental sport, requiring a good balance between energy and intense focus, I tailor my pre-meet routines to however I'm feeling: if I have a lot of nervous energy that day, I usually try to relax before I get on the boards or burn off the extra energy, but if I'm more calm, I will usually listen to something that has a lot of energy in it. When I'm scared of a dive, my wonderful teammates will put on happy music, which puts me in a good mood and gives me the confidence to try new things. This year, my goal is to qualify to compete in Championships on the 1m board and expand my list on 3m. As for life off the boards, I am a history/education major and I can't wait to be a teacher! I also enjoy reading books, watching movies, and hanging out with my friends.

Winter Words, and Meet Amanda

Hey Shark Fans!

The Sharks finished up the first semester with a first place finish at the two day trials and finals Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship meet. The team won the GNAC Championship title for the fifth year in a row. We left Boston on January 2nd to train in Delray Beach, Florida. We had double sessions every day where we swam long course meters. The Sharks participated in the Delray Beach Ocean Mile Swim With the Fishes, that consisted of 250+ swimmers. We participated in an un-scored swim meet against four other division two and three teams. The team showed a strong performance and had a lot of fun competing! We've been training hard and look to get more qualifying times for New England's. Thank you for the continued support and we hope to see you around the pool deck!

Let�s meet more Sharks�
Hi, my name is Amanda Dirksmeier, and I am a sophomore diver. It took me only a month or so of doing nothing my freshman year to realize I missed gymnastics (which I spent over 15 years doing) terribly and started to go slightly stir crazy. Needing something to do, I decided to try diving starting my sophomore year as it was the closest thing to gymnastics Simmons offered. I loved it instantly. It also helps that everyone, both the divers and the swimmers, are exceedingly nice and approachable girls. I like to relax and try not to stress; usually I just lay back and find the happiest music I can to get excited before swim meets.

A Great Week, and meet Stephanie, Caitlin and Hannah

The Simmons Swimming and Diving Sharks just finished out the fall semester with the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Champion title. This past weekend the Sharks competed against six other teams to bring home the 1st place trophy. As a team, everyone swam great times and had competitive races. Numerous swimmers touched the wall with seasonal and all time best times. The divers were strong on both the 1 meter and 3 meter boards. It was a great weekend to come together as a team and compete against strong opponents. The team is looking forward to some relaxation over winter break with some warm weather in Del Ray Beach, Florida for our training trip in January. The Sharks will come back in full force ready to take on next semester�s competition!

See you around the pool deck,
Keri Ann and Julia

Now, meet more of your favorite Sharks�

Hi, I�m Stephanie Bitzas and I am a freshman from Westfield, MA. I swim Backstroke and IM. I love swimming for Simmons because of the team. Everyone on the team is so welcoming and wonderful to be around, and they are some of the greatest people I have ever met. They make swimming so much fun, and the atmosphere is always exciting and welcoming, and we just have a great community. Before races, I listen to Paramore, Led Zeppelin, Lil Wayne, Alanis Morissette and everything in between. I love music, bagels, and other swimmers. In Boston, I like to go for walks or go shopping. I really love Barnes and Noble. I also like to go to CAMPUS on Thursday nights with all my friends, or catch a movie. I just love hanging out with everyone in Boston. I'm looking forward to becoming a better swimmer, and to have fun and enjoy being a college athlete. Personally, I want better times. As a team, I just want to have fun and swim fast and enjoy our season!! GO SHARKS!

Hi, I�m Caitlin Urciuoli. I am a junior from Wethersfield, CT. I swim fly and free. I love swimming at Simmons because everyone on the team truly wants to be there, knowing that makes it easy to work hard and enjoy what comes with it. I usually listen to Jack Johnson or something similar before meets. I like that it�s easy to get everywhere in Boston and that there is always so much happening but it isn't overwhelming. I'm looking forward to a good season and I'm glad to be back.

Hi, I�m Hannah McQuillan. I am a Distance Freestyle and Breaststroker from Northampton, MA. This is my second year on the Simmons swim team and I love it! I really like how I can be on a competitive swim team and still focus on my academics. We have a challenging schedule and train hard but at the same time we have a lot of fun. The team is very positive, cheering each other on in meets and supporting each other outside of swimming as well. My teammates are some of my closest friends at school. At meets I listen to some calmer music such as Jason Mraz and upbeat techno-y music like Mike Relm and Girl Talk. Right before my race I listen to more intense, pump up music such as Rage Against the Machine. I get pumped for races by listening to "Remember the Name" and I just repeat the lyrics to myself as I swim. I also get pumped by a crowd with a lot of energy, a close meet, or if I have a goal time I really want. I love to wander around Boston with friends, especially if I have money to spend. I really like to eat out so trying new restaurants is always fun. Some of my favorite places in Boston include El Pelon, the Museum of Science, Faneuil Hall, Coolidge Corner, the Garment District, and Legal Seafood�s (when I can afford it!). This season I am looking forward to working with our new coach Mindy, really focusing on my distance events, and going on our training trip to Florida in January. My goals for this season include improving my 500 and 1000 times, the team swimming well as a whole, and Simmons placing in the top 10 at New England�s this year.

Meet Heather and Brittany

Hey Shark Fans! This past Friday night the Sharks competed against Wellesley College, a NEWMAC team. The divers preformed well on both the 1 meter and 3 meter boards. The swimmers finished strong and had strong swims. Wellesley is always very competitive and the Sharks put up some aggressive swims! The team is excited for upcoming competition from Babson College. We will finish out the semester with our two-day GNAC Championships held at the Simmons Holmes Sports Center on December 6 and 7.

My name is Heather O'Connell and I'm a junior. I do both the high and low springboards. Some of the things I love about diving at Simmons include my coach, Erin Rowe, who is absolutely amazing and knows so much about the sport. I have so much respect for her and she always pushes me to a higher level. I also love the new training equipment that Simmons recently invested in; it has helped me personally, and for all of our divers, the improvement is obvious and remarkable. Music I listen to before diving is soft yet strong. Diving requires physical strength but it also at least 70% mental; if you think you're going to mess-up, you will, but if you're over-confident you'll create a false
security. My music helps stop me from tensing up, but also keeps me from relaxing too much! In diving, little thing can 'mess-up' a dive which you might have done hundreds of times perfectly during practice. For me, there is always one dive that goes wrong; therefore my goal for the season is to have at least one meet (if not more) where I score 5's or above on all of my dives. And my goals for my team are to have a season where everyone improves!

My name is Brittany Torelli, I am a junior, I swim breaststroke and sprint free, I'm from Waterbury, CT, I love swimming for Simmons because I love the competition and the people I swim with, I usually listen to 'The Great Escape' by Boys Like Girls or some Chris Brown or Neyo before I swim, I love close races in meets and just a pumped-up atmosphere on deck gets me going, I love walking around Boston, going out to eat, etc., I'm looking forward to GNACs and New England�s this season, and I would love for the team to end the season on a high note and to be successful in dual meets.

Welcome to the Swimming & Diving Blog

Hey Shark fans, welcome to the captain�s blog. We�re very excited to report about the enthusiasm and positive start to our 2008-2009 season. All the swimmers and divers set great platforms for the season. We just came off two wins against Elms and Wheelock College where the team came together for fast swims and immense support from the fans. Just this weekend, we came in fourth at the Regis Invitational swimming against some great competition.

We wanted to use this space so that the Shark fans can get to know the Simmons Swimmers and Divers on and off the pool deck, starting by introducing us as captains.

I�m Keri-Ann Arsenault, a four-year swimmer at Simmons and a BioPsychology major. I swim distance freestyle and love the individual medley. �Living on a Prayer� by Bon Jovi is what motivates me before my distance events. I�m looking forward to my last year as a Shark and can�t wait for GNACs and NE Championships.

I�m Julia Morrison, a nursing major and a four-year swimmer at Simmons. I have enjoyed my time here at Simmons both in the classroom and in the pool. I love swimming all butterfly events. I get pumped for the 200 fly! Living the past four years in Boston has been really fun. I love watching the Red Sox win right down the street. I am looking forward to finishing my collegiate swim career with fast swims and great spirit from all of the Simmons swimming and diving sharks!

Check back here to meet more of your Simmons Swimming and Diving Sharks! In the meantime, check for results coming soon against our big competitors Wellesley and Babson College, NEWMAC teams. Go Sharks!