Colleen Callahan during the 200 IM against Georgia at Allan Jones Aquatic Center on Jan. 21, 2017. Adrien Terricabras • The Daily Beacon
Big and Small
Freshman swimmer learning the ropes from seniors Taylor Crombie Contributor
Tennessee freshman Meghan Small has made a splash since joining the swim team last fall. She wasted no time and picked up her first two career wins in the Volunteers’ second meet of the season in the 200yard backstroke (1:56.86) and the 200yard individual medley (2:00.63), both of
Volume 133 Issue 8
which qualify for NCAA B-cut times. Last weekend against Georgia, she trimmed her time in the 200 backstroke down to 1:55.64 and her 200 IM down to 1:58.31, keeping herself in the conversation for Tennessee top performers week after week. While many athletes can be described as intense and, at times, inconsistent, Tennessee head coach Matt Kredich says Small is different. “She’s not somebody that is particularly fiery or volatile, she just brings a really
steady attitude and a really steady work ethic,” Kredich said. Small did not start swimming competitively until she was 13 and says that transitioning from club swimming to swimming as part of a team at UT was definitely something that required some adjustments. “I think coming from club swimming, you focus more on yourself and that aspect of the swimming world,” Small said. “Coming to a team where it’s not “I” anymore, it’s all about us being together and
utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon
the points are not just you winning. It’s to swim for your team, not just yourself.” The training and meet schedule on top of being a college student was another huge adjustment she had to make. “The concept of a dual meet has been the biggest challenge,” Small said. “To be able to go fast in the middle of the week — after classes — is a new thing for me, but I think all of the freshmen have definitely handled it pretty well.” See SMALL on Page 8
Friday, January 27, 2017