What started out as a disappointing season for UNO’s swimming and diving team has blossomed into the start of what it hopes to be a successful transition to Division I.

Maybe the biggest factor for the midseason turnaround has been the success of coach Todd Samland’s freshmen class. He said his younger swimmers have been huge for the University of Nebraska at Omaha this year, along with the training.

“The team trained better and harder this past summer than in the past,” Samland said. “That training has shown in competition.”

Freshman Lexi Bergeron has experienced that training all season.

“We have been pushing really hard through tough practices even with swimming in meets,” Bergeron said. “It’s been really important to our development.”

The freshmen class seems to be benefiting from the training, as seven freshmen have won events this season.

“We had a great recruiting class this year. We have so many great swimmers,” Bergeron said.

Bergeron believes the tough training not only helped the team performance-wise, but helped the chemistry, too.

“We got a lot closer through the tough training,” Bergeron said. “It helped always having teammates there for each other.”

Samland has noticed the chemistry, too.

“We work on it a lot,” he said. “It doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of work.”

After starting the season 0-6 in duels, the team has gone 3-2 in their last five. The turnaround started with a solid December. The Mavs finished first in the Mutual of Omaha Invite, then beat future Summit League rival South Dakota 165-126 a week later.

Following those performances, confidence started to build and Samland’s team realized it could swim with the competition.

With a combination of late-season success and plenty of talent returning, the Mavericks are excited for their first year in the Summit League next season. Samland said the team “absolutely” should be good in the Summit.

“We expect to be second or third next year, at least,” he said. “But we will have to work harder than the other teams to get there.”

These expectations are not just from the coach.

“When I first got here I talked about being able to compete for a Summit title my senior year,” Bergeron said. “But after this year, I think we have a good chance next year.”

The team went 1-1 in Summit duals this year, with the loss coming to South Dakota State.

But Bergeron said they are closer than the scores may appear.

“We lost to South Dakota State by twenty points and they are probably the best team in the Summit this year,” she said.

The Mavs will swim at the New South Conference Championships starting Feb. 22 — but won’t be scored — to conclude the season.

While this season won’t end with any sort of championship, it has been an important year for the program. Samland knows the possibilities are great.

“This is a very exciting time for our program.”