Most people think of swimming as an individual sport. It’s just one person standing on the blocks, waiting for the gun to go off, waiting to hit the water and make that perfect streamline, trying to be slick and agile as they thrust the water behind them.

But as much as swimming is about personal bests, winning by yourself and gaining recognition, it’s all towards winning for the sake of the team. Every swim counts, whether you are first or fifth, and so no matter if you’re the star athlete or not, you have to perform if you want the team to win.

“Swimming is often such an individual sport, but we are really trying to move towards a team effort and working together to win more meets,” sophomore Christina DiMaria said.

The men’s swim season is underway, and expectations for the team are high. After kicking off the season with a victory against Dartmouth and a narrow defeat at defending champion Harvard’s home pool, the Red feels confident and ready to compete with every team it faces throughout the year.

“We’re feeling really good right now,” said senior Nick Cochran. “Everybody is really starting to get into shape. The peak of our season is fast approaching; everybody is feeling good and getting ready to swim some fast times.”

The Red decided to tweak its training regimen this offseason, which ap­pears to be paying off. The team has consistently improved as many members of the team have turned in noticeably faster times.

Having to live up to the Cornell tradition of women’s polo can be tough — 12 national titles in the last 35 years is quite a feat. This year, though, the Red is playing for more than just tradition. The squad’s fall season consists of 14 matches, 13 of which it has already won. The pressure of going undefeated is well documented, but Cornell has taken it in stride.

The men’s polo team will challenge Yale on Friday at home in what will be the team’s last match of the semester.

“Coming off of last week’s tournament, it is a nice opportunity for us to hone in on some of the mistakes that the starters made — me, Max and Bobby — and work out a few of the kinks and just have a great game working with some of the other players,” said senior starter Richard Weidel.

Cornell (7-2) has faced Yale before this season, winning decisively both times, 24-10 and then 23-10. Because Yale has a relatively young and inexperienced team, the Red hopes to use this match as a chance for new players on the roster to play with the starters and gain more experience.

After making it to the playoffs for first the first time in four years, the women’s hockey team feels it is destined to have a great season this year. Although the season is in its early stages, Cornell has proven that it is a contender after being picked to finish fifth in the league according to the preseason coaches’ poll.

With only four players graduating last year, the Red rounds out its roster with the ad­dition of eight freshmen and one junior transfer. Together, this new unit is comprised of all different components on the ice, including four defensemen, four forwards and a goalie.

With hockey running in the family blood, sophomore Rebecca Johnston grew up playing hockey and has already proven herself early in her career as she laces up her skates for her second season of collegiate hockey.

Last year, Johnston was an offensive force with 16 goals and 16 assists, and this year is no different as she leads the team with 12 points, six goals and six assists thus far. Johnston earned her second ECAC Hockey Player of the Week award of the season this week after playing a key role in the Red’s victories over Brown and Yale.

A two-time player on the Under-22 Canadian National team, Johnston recently returned from skating for team Canada in the Four Nations Cup. While there, she helped the team pick up its silver medal.

The 2007-08 season will certainly be a tough act to follow — the team captured the school record for wins, the Ivy League Player of the Year award, and not to mention Cornell’s first Ivy League title and trip to the NCAA Tournament. But with its three incoming freshman, two returning starters and one new assistant coach, this very different team is looking for very similar results.

After setting the single-season record for assists last season, junior captain Lauren Benson will again be relied on to run the Red offense.

“Lauren is an extension of the coaching staff,” head coach Dayna Smith said. “We try to give her free reign to be a leader on and off the court.”