With the swimming season starting tomorrow at the Conference Pentathalon in Pasadena, the men’s and women’s swim teams are training right down to the wire.

The Warriors have been practicing three hours a day and there are several returning swimmers who Corey Stanbury, swimming and diving coach, believes can be the standout leaders.

These veteran swimmers include Lisa Odland for the women’s team, and Dennis Katarygin and Michael Colavita, who all specialize in the breaststroke, for the men’s team.

Alexandra Stumpf, whose specialty is the individual medley event, and divers Carlos Siguenza and David Austin are also expected to lead the team.

Stanbury sees a lot of potential in Daniel Bender, an incoming freshman who specializes in the distance freestyle event.

Bender is also the younger brother of Scott Bender, who was an instrumental swimmer for EC a year ago.

Scott was eligible to return this season, but chose to join the military instead.

“Everyone is just hopping in and doing a lot of work,” Stanbury said. “They will be swimming their lifetime-best times before we get halfway through the season.”

There have already been some constraints that have occurred in this preseason.

The pool’s main pump broke down and the team was deprived of a week of practice; however, the pump was replaced, and it will not affect upcoming meets.

While the pool was closed for repairs, members still worked out and kept themselves in shape.

“Last week when the pool was closed, we were doing dry land stuff like crunches; other than that, we just swim every day,” Shon Page said.

Teams in the conference that will face off at the first meet alongside EC include Rio Hondo, Mt. SAC, Chaffey, L.A.Trade Tech and Cerritos.

“We have had some good matchups with Cerritos in the past,” Stanbury said. “Chaffey looks strong.”

Areas where the team believes it feels confident are the breaststroke and sprint free; however, there are some strokes such as the butterfly and the backstroke that members feel need improvement.

“We have seen some holes,” Stanbury said.

Stanbury believes that those areas of weakness will strengthen as the season progresses.

“I think our team will be pretty strong,” Stanbury said.

We’re missing a few points. I don’t think we have very many butterfliers,” said Shon Page, who specializes in the backstroke event.

The swimmers have been working hard to improve this season, and after the success that they achieved last year, including setting a record time in the women’s 200-medley that had stood for 26 years, everyone has returned with a sense of motivation.

“I think I am going to improve byÿtrying better, eating better and coming to practice more,” Colavita said.