[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]As the spring semester comes to a close, many students have their minds set on one thing: summer. The Wisconsin swim team is no exception, swimming traditionally being a more popular summer sport.

Just five weeks into their summer schedule, the Badgers have already seen a few notable changes in their training routine. The smooth-sailing 25-yard short-course pool has been converted to a rough 50-meter race. The conversion from yards to meters generates a perceptible difference on the body, as swimmers will increase their strokes from up to 14 laps to roughly 32 laps with the change.

The team has also altered its focus from a team concept to a more individualistic approach. In the winter, the Badgers tend to concentrate on relays as well as a strong team performance with the divers. The summer gives the team an opportunity to focus on individual goals such as stroke technique, power work and endurance enhancement.

Though the summer provides the Badgers with a chance to concentrate on their own levels of improvement, UW head coach Eric Hansen hopes to see his group keep a tight group focus after their success from the spring.

In March, the women's team finished its season with a solid ninth-place performance at the NCAA Championships, its highest national finish to date. The past season was a rebuilding year for the men's team. Recently their hard work over the winter months has begun to show in workout, and Coach Hansen couldn't be more satisfied.

"In the past, the summer has been more of a single-minded focus," says Hansen, "but our team is so tight right now that we have been clicking really well as a unit. We have more talent in the pool right now than we've ever had since I've been here. It's been really fun to work with this group."

With the success continually growing, the Badgers will keep their main objective the same for this summer. The summer national championships in August have perennially been the target of the team's training. This summer will be no different, as USA Swimming plans to pick several national teams on which each Badger who qualifies for the meet will have a chance to compete.

"Our major focus is going to be improving on every aspect of what we do and go[ing] back and getting some basic training in," Hansen said. "Hopefully, we will also put a bunch of people on a national team this summer.

"But [the focus] is different for different people," he continued. "We have a handful of people whose primary goal is to make it on a national team, and then we have another portion whose primary goal is to put in a solid base for next season and for future seasons to come."

This summer, the Badgers will compete in roughly three meets before their championship meet. Up first for the team is a three-day competition in Vancouver, Canada. The meet will allow the Badgers to have a sneak peek at some minor international competition while also giving them a chance to unwind from exams.

Swimmers participating in the meet will also get first-hand experience with the Canadian lifestyle, as each swimmer will have the opportunity to stay with a Canadian host family.

From Canada, the Badgers will get to compete with some of the younger swimmers from Wisconsin in an invitational in Eau Claire, Wis., where the Badgers will participate in autograph signings as well as relays with young Wisconsin swimmers.

In mid-July, the team will travel to Los Angeles to compete in the Janet Evans Invitational. The invite will feature the cream of the crop of international competitors. JEI gives the Badgers the ultimate tune-up before their final summer championship.

"Right now, we are working the hardest that we have worked all season," Hansen said. "These guys train with each other so well, and they really care about one another. … I think we just are looking forward to improving."

A strong summer of improvement will not only help the Badgers for the following season, but it will also provide a strong catalyst for fall recruiting, as many future recruits will also be competing in the national championships.

"We have had more and more interest in our program every year, and a lot of that is due to our success at nationals," Hansen explained. "Our first huge summer meet was the 2004 Olympic Trials, and we've had success in the summer since then. In the past 12 months, we've had four national champions, and that does a lot [for] us."