David Lazarovich '16, a specialist in the breaststroke and the individual medley, has hopes to further mold the sport at Brandeis just two years after the restoration of the swimming and diving team.

"It's a rare opportunity to be part of a swim team but even rarer to make a new name," he said. We plan on improving that name every single year."

The varsity swimming and diving team came to life with the reopening of the pool in the Joseph M. Linsey Sports Center in January of 2012 and, much like Lazarovich, has flourished ever since.

He holds the top times for the 2012 to 2013 season in the 50-yard, 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke. His top time for the 50-yard backstroke registers just 2.74 seconds behind the all-time school record. However, Lazarovich has stated his determination to push himself into the record books.

"It's a matter of training harder, which should result in faster times," he explained. "That's the only thing you can do is move up that list."

Lazarovich has done his part to improve his swimming this year, pointing out recent success in the Judges' last meet in December, where he recorded a top-10 finish in the 200-yard breaststroke.

"The season is going really well compared to last season where it was the first season of college swimming, and I've already been faster at [our meet at Worcester Polytechnic Institute]," he said.

Even though he does not focus on the sroke, Lazarovich also holds the second-fastest time from 2012 to 2013 in the 200-yard backstroke, a feat he does not overlook.

"Before college swimming, I swam everything and breaststroke was just better," he observed. "When I got to college the coach and I decided breaststroke would be my stroke, but it is good to be exposed to other strokes. If training for [the individual medley] means training for 200, I'll do that."

Any chance for a top time or personal best, I'll take it."

As the University Athletic Association Championships quickly approach, held from Feb. 12 to 15 at Emory University, Lazarovich has his mind set on the record books.

"For the next two weeks we're focusing on keeping intensity and then championships," he said.

"I could easily gain three seconds on turns, so that's something I'll be focusing on for the next three weeks. Things are looking good for the end of the season and hopefully going to finals."

In addition to personal goals in the pool-two minutes and 12 seconds or faster in the 200-yard breaststroke and under a minute in the 100-yard breaststroke-Lazarovich has goals for the Judges outside the pool as well.

"We're forging our image and we try to keep up that image," he noted.

Lazarovich cited the pride individual swimmers take in the program-from talking up the team to wearing their team jackets around campus-as an effective way of building a name for the program.

"The whole process is inspiring and you see everything growing so quickly and it's an opportunity that doesn't come around often," he said. "Overall the experience will help me in the long run."

Lazarovich and the rest of the Judges look forward to making a name both in the pool and around campus in the upcoming months.