Comparisons to last year’s team can be drawn now that the season is halfway finished for Eastern.

However, head coach Ray Padovan said comparing the two teams is difficult.

“We don’t have the same talent,” he said. “Almost 50 percent of the team is new this year. We’re basically a new team. We had some good seniors last year that are no longer with us. We’re probably not as strong or balanced as last year’s team, but as far as what we do in the water, that hasn’t changed significantly.”

Padovan also commented on the difficulty of a roster changing.

“You have people who develop for four years and then they’re gone and you have to replace them with someone new,” he said. “That doesn’t always work out; it’s hard to replace players like that.”

The men’s team (2-5) is two wins shy of last year’s team record of 4-5.

The women finished 5-4 last year with a second place finish in the Mid-Continent; this year they are 1-6. Four meets are left in the season, starting with the Friday meet at Millikin. Eastern also competes against Valparaiso, Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis and St. Louis before the conference tournament in mid-February.

A Rare Treat

The Panthers have experienced a rarity this season.

Senior Bill Senese broke a school record for the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.69 seconds at the House of Champions tournament Dec. 5 in Indianapolis.

The rareness, as Padovan and his graduate assistant coach Kim Fischer explained, comes from the fact that it was during the season.

“We typically break records at the end of the season or during conference,” Fischer said.

Padovan also has pride as a coach when he sees a swimmer excel so quickly.

“If a person goes in and has a lifetime best swim, what more can you ask for?” he said.

A Team’s Progress

Padovan said he feels his team has progressed, but said that he will see just how much of a progression they have made in the next few weeks.

“I think I’ve seen progress from some individuals, but I haven’t seen it in others,” he said. “This is the time when people start breaking out.”

Injuries and Health Beat

Padovan said one of his key goals is keeping his team healthy for the remainder of the season.

“We’ve had a few players sick and a few injured, but everyone is coming back,” he said. “The critical thing is that we keep everyone healthy.”