Wet for months on end
NMU swimmers, divers open in September, wrap up in April
Northern Michigan University men's swimmer Alessandro Rosatelli, center, gets out of the starting blocks during a meet against St. Cloud State (Minnesota) held at the PEIF pool in Marquette during a past season. (Photo courtesy of NMU)
Kalina Ceglinski
Northern Michigan University men's swimmer Alessandro Rosatelli, center, gets out of the starting blocks during a meet against St. Cloud State (Minnesota) held at the PEIF pool in Marquette during a past season. (Photo courtesy of NMU)
Kalina Ceglinski
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MARQUETTE -- The marathon known as the college swimming and diving season begins in less than two months for the men's and women's teams at Northern Michigan University in mid-September.
These Wildcats will stay at home for the Green vs. Gold exhibition meet at the PEIF -- the Physical Education Instructional Facility -- at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, and winds things down in the same pool on April 16 with the spring scrimmage exhibition.
Between them will be at least 17 and maybe as many as two dozen days' of meets.
After a regular-season opening weekend at GLIAC associate member St. Cloud State in Minnesota on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-3, Northern hosts its only weekend at home during the fall.
That will be a meet vs. conference foe Saginaw Valley State at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, followed by a meet vs. both SVSU and another league rival, Grand Valley State, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Then comes two days in Detroit, facing host and GLIAC opponent Wayne State along with nonconference team Findlay on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7.
Taking nearly a month off for Thanksgiving, the Wildcats jump back in the water in Grand Rapids to attend one of the biggest NCAA Division II meets, the Calvin Invitational at Calvin University from Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 3-6.
A few select members of the Northern team continue onto the Open Water Collegiate Nationals conducted by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association just a week later.
Though NMU didn't list it, the coaches group's website, cscaa.org, details that Sarasota, Florida, is the host at Nathan Benderson Park on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Three Wildcats back on this year's Northern teams, sophomore Ellie Kilgard for the women and junior Alessandro Rosatelli and sophomore Zachary Billotte for the men, swam this literal marathon in the water -- a 5,000-meter or five-kilometer course -- last December.
After a long swim like that, it's not surprising the Wildcats will take another month off before resuming on Saturday, Jan. 16, with a dual meet at nonconference Wisconsin-Steven Point.
Two weeks later at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30, NMU hosts its winter PEIF meet vs. GLIAC foe Lake Superior State and Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay.
After that is tournament season, with the GLIAC Championships in downstate Holland from Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 17-20.
There is a possibility of a "last chance meet," maybe even at the PEIF facility, on or around Feb. 21, giving certain swimmers one last opportunity to post a time that will get them in the NCAA Division II nationals.
The NCAA D-II Championships run from Tuesday through Saturday, March 9-13, the opening day also being the diving qualification meet.
And finally a month later will be the Wildcats' spring scrimmage on April 16.
Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release previewing the schedule. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.