Last weekend, in a commanding win over Fordham, one of the youngest teams in Massachusetts’ swimming history became one of the most successful. The Minutewomen swam circles around the not so buoyant Fordham Rams, en route to a school record-tying tenth win of the season and first place in the Atlantic 10.

Never before has such a young and inexperienced team survived the desperate journey that is the A-10 regular season. However, with a talented core of juniors and an exciting, ambitious group of underclassmen, UMass was able emerge from the rough waters of the conference with first place in its grasp.

With the conference regular season behind them and the wind at their backs, the Minutewomen now look ahead to the climax of their voyage in Buffalo, NY: The Atlantic 10 championships.

Before sailing north to the Empire State, some of the Minutewomen will take a detour to Storrs, CT for the UConn Husky Invitational.

UMass is 10-3 on the season, thanks in large part to the outstanding campaigns of junior triumvirate Anne Dettloff, Andrea Kazanjian and Becky Hunnewell.

Kazanjian, who holds the conference best time in the 50-yard and the 100-yard freestyle, has helped to solidify UMass’ dominance in the A-10.

Dettloff and Hunnewell are also high on the conference leader boards in the 200-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke respectively.

The real surprise for the Maroon and White this year has been the extraordinary performance of Christen Dexter. Dexter, who is only a freshman, has exceeded all expectations in dominating the breaststroke and providing depth in any other event she swims.

The rookie has been largely unbeatable at the 200-yard breast and she is still getting better. Meet after meet, she keeps improving, a fact that is supported by the fact that she has shattered the school record three times this year.

Although Dettloff, Dexter and company garner much of the press they are but a microcosm of the entire squad. The core of this team’s success is in its versatility. There are so many different swimmers who compete and are successful at a variety of events that other teams are struggling to keep up. No one in the A-10 can even compare when it comes to depth and that fact is never more evident than in the relays, an event where depth is put on center stage.

With the Atlantic 10 championships on the horizon, that depth will be put to the test as each swimmer is stacked up against the best the conference has to offer. So far this season there hasn’t been one loose screw in the Maroon and White swimming machine, and for that ship to keep on cruising UMass will have to continue to do what has brought them this far: Dominate.