Tears streaming down her face, Katie Lewinski tried to pull herself together as she gazed toward Syracuse coaches Lou and Ellie Walker.

The SU senior swimmer saw family, friends and teammates throughout the packed Webster Pool. But it was seeing her coaches that drew out the sentimental emotions.

‘As soon as I saw Lou and Ellie, I got a little emotional,’ Lewinski said. ‘But it’s hard not to in such a situation.’

This weekend would be the last time her name would be announced and the last time she would compete at the pool in which she has spent so many hours the past four years. The SU swimming and diving team hosted its final home meet of the season – and in program history – against Villanova and Providence on Friday and Saturday in Webster Pool at Archbold Gymnasium.

Lewinski said the two Orange male senior swimmers, Kuba Kotynia and Brian Zimmerman, probably wouldn’t admit it if they cried. But she hinted she wasn’t the only one feeling the historic moment.

Winning the 50-yard freestyle (25.83) and 100-yard freestyle (56.77), Lewinski finished her career at Webster Pool on a high note.

‘I’m really happy to go out with a couple event wins,’ Lewinski said, ‘which four years ago, I thought would never happen.’

Lewinski was not the only one who appreciated the moment. Though he didn’t admit to tearing up, fellow senior Kotynia noted the significance of his final home meet.

‘It’s the last time that you’ll stand on the (starting block),’ Kotynia said. ‘And it’s the last time you’ll participate in a meet here.’

Kotynia made the most of his final meet at SU, winning all three of his races handily. Kotynia, who still has hopes for competing in the NCAA tournament this year, recorded times of 1:56.57 in the 200-yard intermediate, 57.88 in the 100-yard breaststroke and 2:06.43 in the 200-yard breaststroke.

The senior especially embarrassed the field in the 200-yard breaststroke. Kotynia beat his closest competition by 16.16 seconds.

Teammates Stephanie Lefebure-Kuczynski, Alice Stejskal and Zimmerman, the other male senior, all recorded first-place times as well.

‘I didn’t really have anyone to race against,’ Kotynia said. ‘It was really easy, but I felt good in the water.’

Kotynia is one of five seniors, the only swimmers still on scholarship. Walker knows that most of his current team isn’t like the swimmers he has coached for the past 34 years. Most of the swimmers are walk-ons, just bodies for a program being ushered out.

But he knows these swimmers still train year-round like all Division I athletes do. These swimmers still push themselves during every practice. And they still strive for greatness and compete their hardest in each meet.

‘I’m very pleased with how they’ve performed, how they’ve handled themselves and just who they are,’ Walker said. ‘It’s been a pleasure coaching them.’

For Walker, letting go is never easy. Though he has been through 34 of these ‘senior night’ meets, each one is still sentimental for him.

Like Lewinski and Kotynia, Walker felt the heat of that moment.

This was his senior night, too.

‘Every year they are (sentimental),’ Walker said. ‘Your seniors are on the way out. You have a little tug at the heartstrings for sure.’

sebail01@syr.edu

 

Published on February 6, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1