Think of it as a tune-up. Tomorrow at 11 a.m., when the Syracuse swimming and diving teams travel to Villanova, it will mark the last dual meet for a handful of Syracuse seniors.

It will be Senior Day for the Wildcats, and while it appears to be an ending, tomorrow is an interlude to the Big East Championships in Uniondale on Feb. 19.

‘Every time you go into a championship meet,’ senior Spencer Raymond said, ‘you focus more on fine-tuning, not conditioning. Right now that is what we are doing – focusing on the events we are going to have to swim.’

This weekend the Orangemen and the Orangewomen will do just that. The two teams will focus on the little things, fine-tuning their racing and diving techniques in preparation for the biggest meet of the season.

‘You take a look ahead as you progress,’ head coach Lou Walker said. ‘You don’t have to remind these kids where (in the season) they are.’

A year ago, the Orangemen (5-1) outdid the Wildcats at home, 142-87. The Orangewomen (3-3) were not as successful, falling, 133-109. Villanova was one of two teams to beat the women last season.

The Villanova women are led by all-American Becky Koch. The senior from Sugarland, Texas is one of the nation’s top female swimmers. In 2003, she was named the Big East Outstanding Female Swimmer, and Koch is already a two-time Big East champion with a chance to be an Olympian this summer.

The Orangewomen will counter with Elyse McDonough. The senior is swimming in her final dual meet along with Kalei Mahi. The seniors swimming on the men’s side will be Spencer Raymond, Peter Evans and Steve Polucha, as well as diver Rick Rodriguez.

The final regular season road trip for the seniors is not the end. Tomorrow serves as a stepping stone into the Big East Championship meet, one in which the men and women both finished eighth last year, a finish both teams are determined to improve.

‘We are trying to get more confidence going into Big East’s,’ junior Mike Anstrom said. ‘We are looking to improve and gain another victory.’

Published on February 5, 2004 at 12:00 pm