After nearly a month since their last official meet, the Eastern men’s and women’s swimming teams return to the pool.

The Panthers will swim against Millikin at 5 tonight in Lantz Natatorium.

Millikin competes at the Division III level, while Eastern is a Division I team.

Millikin has a new head coach, Charlie King, who is in his first season at the school in Decatur.

Eastern head coach Ray Padovan is in his 42nd year with the Panthers.

“It’s not going to be competitive at all,” sophomore Lauren Zillmer said. “They are a ‘smaller’ team. We’re going to try to get the best times this weekend. (Sophomore) Laura Nilsen, (seniors) Jen Beresheim and Jamie Lelo, as well as all the seniors, are going to have good meets.”

Senior Patty Young said the teams will be putting forth extra effort.

“We haven’t had a meet in over a month, so we’re trying to get our best times,” senior Patty Young said. “Really, our only goal for the meet is to get our best times and cheer our teammates on as best we can.”

Eastern won both competitions easily last season. The Eastern women’s team beat Millikin 117-65, and the men’s team won 120-68. The results should be similar this season, too.

“Based on last year, we know to have more fun with this meet,” Beresheim said. “A lot of people will try out other events. This meet helps us ease back into the season after our training in Florida. We have to stay focused and make sure that we take this seriously. We need to battle the clock and focus on our times and races.”

Several swimmers agreed the practices from this week and the training in Florida were difficult on them, but it will be worth it for the rest of the season.

“We’ve had hard practices since we got back from Florida,” Zillmer said. “We need to keep working hard. We have been working hard in practice by having less rest and more yards to do, and that is why it is tough without rest, leaving us tired.”

Last season, Beresheim won the 100-yard butterfly, Lelo won the 500-yard freestyle, and Nilsen won the 100-yard backstroke against the Millikin women’s swim team (3-1). Zilmer won the 100-yard freestyle against the Big Blue.

The Eastern men’s team (2-4) also had some standouts against Millikin last season. Sophomore Matt Crittenden won the 100-yard freestyle. Senior Matt Latham won the 50-yard freestyle, and senior Tim O’Hagan won the 100-yard butterfly.

“As usual, our standout swimmers will have to step up. I think the relays will definitely have to step up, too,” Beresheim said. “(Padovan) will have room to move people around; it just depends who he puts where.”

The Millikin men’s team (2-2) is coming off a narrow 103-101 win against Rose Hulman on Dec. 8.

Breakouts:

Old School vs. New School head coaches

Eastern vs. Millikin

Ray Padovan vs. Charlie King

Years at school: Padovan – 42; King -1.

Other Head Coach Collegiate Coaching Experience: Padovan – Eastern New Mexico – 1; King – Ausburg College (Minn.) – 3.

Ross Meister can be reached at 581-7944 or at rwmeister@eiu.edu.

Freshman swimmer Trevor Thomas takes a breath during pratice at Lantz Natatorium. The Panthers take on Millikin in a duel meet this Friday. (Robbie Wroblewski/The Daily Eastern News)

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