It was a riveting scene as Calvin’s women’s swim team paraded into the Fieldhouse chanting in unison. At the same time, the men’s team filed into the opposite side of the room, captivating every eye in the building as they proudly displayed uniform bleached hair while loudly thumping mops and buckets, their echoes resounding throughout the immense structure. The crowd chimed in as the team chanted, “Calvin, Calvin,” and it was obvious to see that both Knight teams were pumped up for the face-off.

The historic rivalry between Hope and Calvin continued Saturday, Jan. 27. But instead of being on the court, where the previous week’s showdown took place, this competition took place in the Fieldhouse pool. One could easily see the rivalry between the two schools upon entering the Fieldhouse, by listening to the chants of the differing teams and viewing the signs displaying messages such as, “The Knight Time is the Right Time” and “Fight Like a Knight.”

“We’re coming in as the underdog,” said L.J. Konynydyk, one of Calvin’s top female distance competitors. “We are here to do our best, have fun, and see what we’ve got.”

Despite the confidence of the team and the unity in cheering, the Knights failed to perform to their potential. Many times they came close, but in the end had a difficult time passing up the Dutchmen. The momentum and noise level gradually decreased until the women’s 400-medley relay when junior Kate Conrad, freshman Amy Youngquist and junior Erin Kloostra unified their talents to win the event. “This was a turning point for tfhe team and the crowd went wild,” said Kloostra. “It was unexpected and gave us a confidence boost.”

Swimmers and fans were hoping that this would be the year to beat Hope, especially being on their own turf, or rather, water. Coming into Saturday’s competition, Hope’s female squad was on a league winning streak that spanned 49 meets, and has captured the MIAA crown 18 out of the past 21 years.

“If we were to ever beat Hope, this is the year,” stated Kloostra. “There isn’t any division among team members, and as opposed to previous years, we have all learned to be a ‘team’ and to be there for each other.” The Knight women showed their spirit by wearing decorated caps during warm-ups, and could be seen alongside the men on the side of the pool, cheering on their teammates during competition.

While the endurance level of the swimmers is strong due to agonizing practices designed to prepare them for these events, there are some technicalities to be worked out before conference, which is to be held February 15-17 at the Holland Aquatic Center.

According to junior Jordan Zacharia, “We weren’t expecting too much out of this meet because we were swimming tired. We know now that in the next three weeks when we decrease the intensity level of practice, then our results will improve. We have seen it happen in the past and are expecting the same results for conference.”

Freshman Brad White added, “I’m going to put this meet behind me and just look ahead. Like Coach says, it’s not what happens today that matters. We’re just looking ahead to conference.”

The final score for the men’s competition was152-85 in favor of Hope. Hope’s women defeated Calvin 126-117.