Swim team's best stroke: Three-style

After 40 minutes of uninterrupted rain, the Merced College and San Jose City College baseball teams finally waved the white flag and postponed their game.

The MC softball team emerged from its dugout 10 minutes earlier, finally conceding that a meaningful practice wasn't in the cards.

All around the MC campus, students hurried to their cars or classes as a late February shower unleashed its fury.

The campus was virtually barren except for the athletes still plugging away at the MC pool.

Sure, the Blue Devil swim teams were going to be wet regardless of the weather, but it was another indication of the dedication that coaches Bill Halpin and Scott McCall require of the entire Blue Devil aquatics program.

"Lots of kids have two-a-days at the beginning of the season, but our kids have them all season," Halpin said. "Throw in the fact that we make most of them play water polo too, and these kids are doing it year round.

"It can be tough if you're not used to it coming out of high school, but we expect to be the conference champions every year and this is what it takes to make that happen."

Halpin has the banners to prove it.

As consistent as the MC baseball and women's basketball teams have been over the last decade, the only program to win back-to-back conference titles since 2003 is the swim teams and the women's water polo team.

Both squads enter this season going for the Bay Valley Conference three-peat.

"You know all about the history and the expectations when you come here for both swimming and water polo," freestyle swimmer Chris Pipes said. "There's a big legacy.

"Recently it's been the swim teams that have had the most success, but MC is a school that takes its aquatics seriously."

While swimming has moved to the forefront of the Blue Devil aquatics world the last two years, Halpin insists the swim teams and water polo teams are synonymous with each other.

"When kids come here, they know that we expect them to do both," Halpin said. "For some that's a bonus. For others, it just helps keep them in shape during the offseason.

"Historically, water polo is where we've had the bulk of our success, but the swim teams have really come up the last few years."

2009 was a particular banner season for the MC swim teams.

Pipes, Brittany Wilson and Kailey Carter all shattered individual school records, with a couple relay marks falling as well.

With McCall fielding one of the strongest teams in school history, 2010 has the potential to be even better.

"We do some unique things in swimming that I think the kids respond to," McCall said. "We don't just have the boys team and the girls team swim separately. We break them up into groups of three -- based off of their swimming abilities -- and let the kids push each other.

"Our morning workouts usually consist of lifting weights and doing cardio. We try to find different things to keep it fresh.

"Then in the afternoon we're in the water."

The formula has worked.

The women's team has gone 48-8 in dual meets the last eight years.

The men's team has come into its own the last two years, going 10-5.

With the combination of a couple dominating diving teams, both Blue Devil teams have cruised to consecutive BVC titles.

The two teams will be in action today and Saturday at the Cuesta Invitational in San Luis Obispo.

The meet is one of the most prestigious in the state and should give an indication of where MC ranks with Northern California's other elite programs.

"If you have ability and are willing to work hard, you usually have success," McCall said. "That's what we've had the last couple years.

"It's been a really good stretch for the swim teams and hopefully we can keep that going."