“The secret to success in sports is 90% mentality and 10% skill.” This is a commonly touted mantra in the field of athletics, where the top level is characterized by minimal differences in physicality. And swimming, the epitome of aerobic demand, is no different.

As their two championships approach rapidly with roughly a month left in their seasons, the No. 11 men’s and No. 15 women’s WashU swim teams faced DePauw University on Feb. 1, with both teams coming out victorious. In their final tune-up before the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, the men’s team won 196-85, and the women’s team won 189-100.

In sports that are defined by endurance, the toughest section of a race or competition is often the last turn into the home stretch, with the finish just in sight — the infamous “turn three” in track and field, where races are won and lost. For the WashU men’s and women’s swim teams, their seasons are approaching this strenuous, demanding third turn. 

Across four days from Feb. 14-17, the No. 14 ranked Washington University men’s and women’s swim and dive teams attempted to do exactly that, putting themselves to the test against elite competition in the 2024 UAA Championships. The women’s (1,162 points) and men’s (1,105 points) teams fell short of the UAA title, but placed fourth and fifth respectively, finishing in the middle of the talented eight-team conference.