MADISON - Monticello High School graduate Marissa Berg spent time swimming and training in Hawaii over winter break.
It wasn't all fun and games for Berg, who is part of the 17th-ranked University of Wisconsin women's swimming and diving team. The Badgers are coming off a 172-123 loss to No. 1 Georgia on Saturday. It came on the heels of the Badgers' win in a tri meet against ninth-ranked Auburn and Florida State on Friday.
Berg, a sophomore at UW, has been swimming the 50-yard freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and has been a fixture on the 400 and 200 freestyle relays. Berg was part of the Badgers' winning 400 freestyle relays against Auburn and Georgia.
Berg has already set an Olympic trial time in the 50-meter freestyle. She is 0.5 seconds away from qualifying for the Olympic trials in the 100-meter freestyle.
"That was a big confidence boost," Berg said of getting the Olympic trial cut in the 50 freestyle. "It's been one of my top goals as a swimmer. Coming into college, I thought it was possible. I just needed more long course experience. I feel like I have definitely been stepping up compared to last year. This season has been going really good. I have adjusted and feel like things are going a lot easier."
For the first time in her life, swimming is a year-round sport for Berg. She will compete in the Olympic trials June 26 and July 3.
Before that she has some more work to do in the pool for the Badgers. Wisconsin will host UW-Green Bay in a dual meet Friday at the UW Natatorium and then the Badgers will gear up for the Big Ten Championships Feb. 17-21 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Berg was a four-sport star when she was at Monticello High School. She played volleyball, basketball and softball and was a member of the Green County Golden Gators swim team. She attributes a lot of her success to playing multiple sports in high school. She didn't start focusing on one sport until her freshman year for Wisconsin last year.
"My freshman year, I wanted to learn as much as I could, swim hard every meet and whatever happened happened," she said. "They want to allow for an adjustment time because swimming is so different with the training and school. As a freshman, you are expected to sit back and learn. As you get older they stress taking on a leadership role."
Berg practices in the pool 21 hours a week over nine practices. She has two-a-day practices every Monday, Wednesday and Friday; she has a two-hour practice in the morning and a three-hour practice in the afternoon. She works on weight training three days a week and does spinning or cycling exercises twice a week.
Berg has reaped the benefits of focusing just on swimming. The best time she has in the 50-yard freestyle this year is 23 seconds. Her best time in the 100-meter freestyle is 56.9 seconds, which is just short of the Olympic trials time of 56.49.
"This year I'm doing so much better because of the training I did with the Badgers," Berg said. "The summer training with the Badgers was a whole new step up. It has helped me take things to the next level."
Berg credits the weight lifting and spinning exercises for helping her develop even more strength as a swimmer.
"It's a good aerobic workout that doesn't damage your body," Berg said of the spinning.
One of the big highlights for Berg and the Badgers was knocking off defending Big Ten champion Minnesota 152-148 in the season opener Oct. 16.
Berg is looking forward to swimming in the Big Ten Championships. She swam at the conference meet last season but didn't score any points for the Badgers.
"In my individual races I want to score as many points as possible," Berg said. "I definitely want to get in as many finals as I can. As a team, we set a goal of getting into the top three."
It wasn't all fun and games for Berg, who is part of the 17th-ranked University of Wisconsin women's swimming and diving team. The Badgers are coming off a 172-123 loss to No. 1 Georgia on Saturday. It came on the heels of the Badgers' win in a tri meet against ninth-ranked Auburn and Florida State on Friday.
Berg, a sophomore at UW, has been swimming the 50-yard freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and has been a fixture on the 400 and 200 freestyle relays. Berg was part of the Badgers' winning 400 freestyle relays against Auburn and Georgia.
Berg has already set an Olympic trial time in the 50-meter freestyle. She is 0.5 seconds away from qualifying for the Olympic trials in the 100-meter freestyle.
"That was a big confidence boost," Berg said of getting the Olympic trial cut in the 50 freestyle. "It's been one of my top goals as a swimmer. Coming into college, I thought it was possible. I just needed more long course experience. I feel like I have definitely been stepping up compared to last year. This season has been going really good. I have adjusted and feel like things are going a lot easier."
For the first time in her life, swimming is a year-round sport for Berg. She will compete in the Olympic trials June 26 and July 3.
Before that she has some more work to do in the pool for the Badgers. Wisconsin will host UW-Green Bay in a dual meet Friday at the UW Natatorium and then the Badgers will gear up for the Big Ten Championships Feb. 17-21 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Berg was a four-sport star when she was at Monticello High School. She played volleyball, basketball and softball and was a member of the Green County Golden Gators swim team. She attributes a lot of her success to playing multiple sports in high school. She didn't start focusing on one sport until her freshman year for Wisconsin last year.
"My freshman year, I wanted to learn as much as I could, swim hard every meet and whatever happened happened," she said. "They want to allow for an adjustment time because swimming is so different with the training and school. As a freshman, you are expected to sit back and learn. As you get older they stress taking on a leadership role."
Berg practices in the pool 21 hours a week over nine practices. She has two-a-day practices every Monday, Wednesday and Friday; she has a two-hour practice in the morning and a three-hour practice in the afternoon. She works on weight training three days a week and does spinning or cycling exercises twice a week.
Berg has reaped the benefits of focusing just on swimming. The best time she has in the 50-yard freestyle this year is 23 seconds. Her best time in the 100-meter freestyle is 56.9 seconds, which is just short of the Olympic trials time of 56.49.
"This year I'm doing so much better because of the training I did with the Badgers," Berg said. "The summer training with the Badgers was a whole new step up. It has helped me take things to the next level."
Berg credits the weight lifting and spinning exercises for helping her develop even more strength as a swimmer.
"It's a good aerobic workout that doesn't damage your body," Berg said of the spinning.
One of the big highlights for Berg and the Badgers was knocking off defending Big Ten champion Minnesota 152-148 in the season opener Oct. 16.
Berg is looking forward to swimming in the Big Ten Championships. She swam at the conference meet last season but didn't score any points for the Badgers.
"In my individual races I want to score as many points as possible," Berg said. "I definitely want to get in as many finals as I can. As a team, we set a goal of getting into the top three."
