And so far, that challenge has worked out in the Eagles' favor.
An already successful season that features 34 school records, three BMC Swimmers of the Week and the program's first-ever "A" time can be capped off with a good showing against the other 13 teams in the BMC.
Last season, both the men and women's teams finished the meet in sixth-place, the first BMC meet in school history.
"Last year, in our first year, I felt we were a lot of individuals that eventually came together. The challenge for the team this year was to be a team," coach Paige McCord said. "And they actually took that one step farther and issued a challenge to themselves to be the team that left a legacy. That's been some big motivation for us."
Now, the C-N swimmers have an opportunity to take the challenge to the next level.
Freshman Paul Ungur (Baie Mare, Romania) is the top seed in the 200 Back and the second seed in the 100 Back. The freshman has taken over the record book in the Backstroke by owning the school record in both events.
In the men's 100 Free, two of the top three seeds will don the Orange and Blue. Seniors Stephen Parsons (Auburn, Ala.) and Ben Young (Morristown, Tenn.) are the second and third seeds respectively. Parsons swam a 45.12 and Young a 45.17 at the Fall Frenzy in the same pool in November.
On the women's side, a multitude of athletes can make a name for themselves this week and be in contention for a NCAA spot. Sophomore Nancy Claire Smith (Franklin, Tenn.) owns the school record in the 500 Free and already claims a "B" time. The Eagles' 200 Medley Relay team also owns a "B" time and is just five seconds off an "A" time that will automatically lock them into the NCAA Championships next month in Indianapolis.
BMC heavyweights Queens and Wingate highlight this season's meet. The Wingate men's team has won the last four conference championships, while the women have taken home gold the previous two years.
"We have had an exceptional season and now we get to cap it off. This is what we have been building towards the entire season and my team is ready to go. It will be an exciting time for sure," McCord said.
The BMC Meet takes place from February 11th to the 14th at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center in Charlotte, N.C.
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