CAA Championships Underway at Aquatic Center

Twelve teams of swimmers and divers are competing in this year's Colonial Athletic Association Swimming & Diving Championships, held at Mason. The meet, which began Wednesday afternoon, will conclude with tomorrow's events. This video by C2M Staff Reporter Lauren Jost on Vimeo recaps events from Thursday.
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The George Mason University Swimming and Diving team began competing in the Colonial Athletic Association Swimming & Diving Championships Wednesday afternoon in search of a fifth women’s title and a first men’s title.

The four-day-long meet, hosted at the Aquatic and Fitness Center, will include swimmers from 12 CAA universities.

A senior swimmer on the team, Brittany Vocke, who has been a swimmer since age 8, says she is eager to participate in the meet after a long year of training.

Vocke says she has been training with her team for over a year for this weekend’s meet.
The Patriot’s training regiment included swimming nine times a week while also running and lifting weights three times a week, but she mentions that she anticipates that the hard work will pay off.

“It is hard to say how we will place, but I predict that both teams will do very well and place in the top three,” said Vocke. “The men’s team has a very strong team and will do well. The women’s team is also very strong but it will be harder for us because we are a very small team this year due to people leaving the program. But we have a lot of heart and I think other teams underestimate us.”

After over 10 years of swimming for the Northern Virginia Swim League’s Fox Mill Foxes, Vocke, a former soccer and basketball athlete, says she still has passion for the sport.

“My favorite event is the 50 [yard] freestyle,” said Vocke, after swimming in the event Thursday morning. “I love the sprint events because I am a fast-paced person and the 50 is the perfect distance, down and back. I love [the] competition that goes with the race. If you make the slightest mistake, you are done for.”

Vocke says that she decided to swim in college because of her sheer love for the sport. She says that she loves getting up to race with teammates and other swimmers — and the constant exercise keeps her entertained and in shape.

“The CAA’s will definitely be a big deal for Mason this year,” said Vocke. “Both teams have a great chance to do well and hopefully take home a win.”

UNC-Wilmington’s men’s team and Towson women’s team took home the CAA Championship titles last year.

Real-time results from the meet can be found on the CAA Championship website.