Thursday, October 25, 2001

Swimmers splash into new season Friday against A&M
By Quinten Boyd
Skiff Staff

In a season that will see all of their home events completed by Nov. 10 and will include a change of practice venues, the swimming and diving team intends to add to the successes of the recent past, including last year when the Frogs broke nine school records and sent four swimmers to the NCAA Championships.

The Frogs take on Texas A&M at 4 p.m. Friday in the Rickel Building for their season-opening meet.

FILE PHOTO Sophomore Collin Sandifer works on his butterfly technique during practice last season. The swimming and diving team faces Texas A&M 4 p.m. Saturday in the Rickel Building.

Although the remodeling of the Rickel will soon force the team to change practice venues, head coach Richard Sybesma said the team can, and will, succeed.

Of the ten matches remaining in the fall, six are at home. Because of the remodeling, all seven spring meets will be on the road.

“We’re playing the hand we’ve been dealt this year,” Sybesma said. “We’d love to have more meets at home over the season, but we can’t control that. We just have to go out and perform.”

The Frogs’ performance begins against Texas A&M, whose men’s team is ranked No. 11 in the nation and is coming off a win at Missouri. The Aggies’ women’s team comes in at 0-1 in the dual meet season.

Sybesma said the meet will give the team a chance to identify its weaknesses.

“We’ve worked on conditioning and specialization for this meet,” Sybesma said.

“Friday’s meet will be a measuring stick on what we need to do to get better.”

The Frogs’ strength was fortified with the signings of 18 swimmers and divers this past summer. These signees join a team that features NCAA qualifiers Jamie MacCurdy, Jamie Robinson, Aaron Ewert and Scott Adkins. In another attempt to build on last season’s success, the Frogs will swim against competition nationally-ranked last season by the College Swim Coaches Association of America, including Texas, Southern Methodist and Notre Dame.

“These are some of the best teams in the country,” Sybesma said. “We have to swim against the best to become the best, and these meets will help us tremendously.”

The success has already began for the women’s swimming team as they were named Academic All-Americans for the 18th straight semester by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). To qualify, a team must have a combined average of 2.8. The Frogs’ average was 3.02, considered “excellent” by the CSCAA.

“The ladies are very competitive in the water and studious in the classroom,” Sybesma said. “In both teams, we signed good swimmers that are good students and good people as well.”

The Frogs’ hope to make the first ever swimming season in Conference USA a season in which they attain their goals.

“Our goal this year is to have a better record in the dual meets, break nine school records, compete for the conference title and score in the NCAA Championships,” Sybesma said.

Sybesma’s optimism for this season has spread to his team as well.

“The team is very close, and our camaraderie should make for a good season,” Strawn said.

Quinten Boyd
q.m.boyd@student.tcu.edu