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Does anyone know how strong the men's and womens teams will be this year, I've fallen off keeping track, it looks like the men's team lost a a big class and a big contributor in Per Nylin, do they have a lot of impact freshman or good foreigners coming in?

The women lost Flavia Rigamonti did they get any distance swimmers to replace her, or add any more sprinters for the short events?

Looking at the Men's schedule it seems like they backed way off this year in the fall meet wise? and only have 5, 6 if you count centenary, duals this year, seems low to me?

Anyone know anything about the new women's assistant coach??

smuswimming wrote:Does anyone know how strong the men's and womens teams will be this year, I've fallen off keeping track, it looks like the men's team lost a a big class and a big contributor in Per Nylin, do they have a lot of impact freshman or good foreigners coming in?

The women lost Flavia Rigamonti did they get any distance swimmers to replace her, or add any more sprinters for the short events?

Looking at the Men's schedule it seems like they backed way off this year in the fall meet wise? and only have 5, 6 if you count centenary, duals this year, seems low to me?

Anyone know anything about the new women's assistant coach??

Thanks for the interest. The loss of Flavia is a big deal, but Steve Collins has consistently reloaded the Women's team. Don't know his new Assistant Coach.

As for the Men's and Women's teams, we do find a few Europeans to add skills and depth. For example, we have another Swede as a freshman, Pontus Renholm, who is a backstroker and freestyler. However, I am afraid we may not be a strong this year.

Still looking for improved swimming facilities, which appear to be possible.

Water Pony wrote:

smuswimming wrote:Does anyone know how strong the men's and womens teams will be this year, I've fallen off keeping track, it looks like the men's team lost a a big class and a big contributor in Per Nylin, do they have a lot of impact freshman or good foreigners coming in?

The women lost Flavia Rigamonti did they get any distance swimmers to replace her, or add any more sprinters for the short events?

Looking at the Men's schedule it seems like they backed way off this year in the fall meet wise? and only have 5, 6 if you count centenary, duals this year, seems low to me?

Anyone know anything about the new women's assistant coach??

Thanks for the interest. The loss of Flavia is a big deal, but Steve Collins has consistently reloaded the Women's team. Don't know his new Assistant Coach.

As for the Men's and Women's teams, we do find a few Europeans to add skills and depth. For example, we have another Swede as a freshman, Pontus Renholm, who is a backstroker and freestyler. However, I am afraid we may not be a strong this year.

Still looking for improved swimming facilities, which appear to be possible.

Is swimming like soccer -- in the sense that it's just not as big here in the States -- and that's why there are so many foreigners?

The US still gets a lot of medals in the Olympics in swimming, but I suspect the number will go down as more kids spend more time in front of video games and less time working out. Swimming is a sport that takes a ton of desire and committment and does not have the chick appeal that football and basketball have. Although as those of us who lived in the old Daniels apartments knew, swimmers did not seem to have a problem in that category at SMU. But getting them through the club level to the college level is where the drop-off occurs. The only good thing is that swimming is still co-ed, and it is a way to meet cute girls if you're in high school and not tall enough to make the basketball team.

EastStang wrote:The US still gets a lot of medals in the Olympics in swimming, but I suspect the number will go down as more kids spend more time in front of video games and less time working out. Swimming is a sport that takes a ton of desire and committment and does not have the chick appeal that football and basketball have. Although as those of us who lived in the old Daniels apartments knew, swimmers did not seem to have a problem in that category at SMU. But getting them through the club level to the college level is where the drop-off occurs. The only good thing is that swimming is still co-ed, and it is a way to meet cute girls if you're in high school and not tall enough to make the basketball team.

EastStang:

That pretty much sums it up. When I swam in high school in Florida, we had a girl's team, which was unusual. They didn't use bikinis or suits with high thigh cuts, but the effect on a teenager back in the sixties was the same.

The U.S. remains the leader in swimming thanks to varsity programs in college. But, it is not uncommon for a girl/woman to make the Olympics, while istill in HS.

The main difference today is that swimmer compete well beyond college. For a few, it is now professional with sponsors like Speedo. Pure amateur sports in the Olympics is history. Sad, but understandable.

But, it is Co-ed, thank goodness !!

Another reason SMU has so many foreign swimmers, I'm told, is because of the facilities. Recruit a kid overseas, and you sell that kid on SMU's academics, swimming tradition, great weather, etc.

An American kid will have a much better chance to visit multiple schools. If a recruit visits SMU as well as Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, etc., and sees the spaceship-style facilities those schools have (including the 50-meter pools), SMU starts out at a significant recruiting disadvantage.

One question that has struck me is why don't we just build a building around the outdoor pool and tie it into the Natatorium. Of course every male student at SMU will be in mourning during warm weather months.

EastStang wrote:One question that has struck me is why don't we just build a building around the outdoor pool and tie it into the Natatorium. Of course every male student at SMU will be in mourning during warm weather months.

you obviously haven't been by the new tanning/wading pool & waterfall at the new Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports

You're right. I'll have to take the tour when I come down there in Nov.

EastStang wrote:One question that has struck me is why don't we just build a building around the outdoor pool and tie it into the Natatorium. Of course every male student at SMU will be in mourning during warm weather months.

Several reasons:

First, the result would be huge as sin. Since the pool is elevated, the resulting enclosure would dominate the site and architecturally, which is very important to adminstrtation, be difficult to add to the appearance of the campus.

Second, the only recruiting tool SMU has now, facility-wise, is the outdoor pool, which in the spring and fall is appealing.

Third, if we build below ground (on the Perkins Natatorium site), we could create a aquatic complex with indoor and outdoor pools, which would permit more training and meet options, while letting us host regional and national meets.

Four, this approach would bring us up to the level of programs we want to recruit and compete against. Simply enclosing the outdoor pool would be a very modest step and keep us as a second class program in the eyes of the coaches, swimmers, divers, fans and recruits.

Unfortunately, swimming and diving is expensive facility-wise. But, once built, SMU is back in the game.