The Morrisville swimming and diving team hung up their towels Jan. 25 to finish out the 2007-08 season. The men finished at 4-7 while the women turned in a 1-10 performance.

Coach Peter DeNoble said he believed his team did very well against the competition they faced.

"As a coach, you always can do better," DeNoble said. "Some of the swim team had never owned a bathing suit before, but we had a lot of heart and that's all you need."

Captain Ashley Mancini, one of only three seniors on the team, was out with a shoulder injury most of the season, but continued to help the team on the sidelines.

"I definitely wanted to swim, but being on deck, I could still help my team." said Mancini. She said she noticed the team never gave up even though the season was rough. "Everyone did really well and nobody really got down," she said.

Coach DeNoble echoed Mancini's thoughts. "We have a lot to learn and a long way to go," he said, "but we are going the right way."

The season was not without highlights. The men won their first meet Nov. 13 against Cazenovia College. The men had more wins, sometimes with little or no competition. "I don't really count them as wins because we only won by default," said freshman Bryan Sheairs. "The other teams didn't have enough men." The women took their only win at home Nov. 15 against Cazenovia College.

When the team was asked about the coach, they all had positive things to say. "He made it a lot of fun. He's a really great coach, too," said Mancini. "I think it helped that he used to swim and dive, so we knew that he knows what is going on." Sheairs added, "He's cool. He can handle us, so he's good. He knows what he is doing."

DeNoble said being a younger coach had a lot to do with the way the team worked. "The more you can relate to someone, the more personal and emotional the connection is," he said.