DAVIE, FLA. (WSVN) - As the collegiate swimming and diving championships kick off this week, attention turns to a team hoping to be crowned champion: Nova Southeastern University.
Joining the ranks of Florida’s aquatic powerhouses, the University of Miami and the Florida Gators, the sharks are set to make waves in their quest for a national title.
“Lots of kids are getting beat up just ’cause of the workload that they have to put in over four and a half days,” said Sharks head coach, Ben Hewitt. “They’re prepared for it. So, we’re just getting healthy and getting back to work and fine tuning a bit more.”
Hewitt is in his eighth season leading the Nova Southeastern University men and women teams. Both are currently nationally ranked in Division II NCAA. The head coach has built a national powerhouse by recruiting swimmers locally and internationally.
“We want to find athletes that are coming with some potential to grow,” he said. “Some of the domestic kids that understand NSU, that we’ve gotten to see through the ranks as they’ve grown from 10, 12, 13 years old up to college-level kids and they know about us and we see a good pedigree.”
The defending Division II champion women’s team is led by Emily Trishman, a college junior from northern Fort Lauderdale and a five-time national champion.
“I’m just another swimmer. I’m there to get the job done and that’s why I’m gonna keep going about it,” she said. “This year, I think we know what we’re coming for . We definitely have the experience and we’re not gonna give up. I think we’re more in the underdog position, in my opinion. Some may disagree but I think that just makes us have a little more fight in ourselves.”
One of Emily’s teammates, Solana Capalbo, hailing from Cooper City, is a four-time conference champion.
“When I came here as a freshman, I was super shy. I was very intimidated by the team,” she said. “I’ve grown into the leader of the team and the one that everyone looks to for support.”
The men’s team will be looking for their first-ever national title. They have prepared themselves in practice for what lies ahead.
“We always push ourselves,” said Gustav Henriksen, a Sharks sophomore swimmer. “We go very fast in training. It’s high intensity because we do a lot more speed work than just a race.”
With the Division II Championship starting Tuesday, the Sharks are ready to compete, fielding 12 women and seven men. Lacking a diving teams, Nova will concentrate on dominating the swimming events to accumulate points.
“I feel pretty good about it,” said Hewitt. “They work really hard. They worked hard all season. We build our season around these meets. It’s a priority for the program to be at our best in the best situation and that’s the NCAA championship need.”
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