University Of Tampa's coach Ed Brennan started the swimming program with only one girl and five guys. The team has grown this year to have fifty four swimmers. Assistant coach Jimmy Kiner was also a former swimmer for UT and has been coaching since he graduated in 2001.
Earlier this year, eight of the swimmers got on the "All-American scholars list," from The Collegiate Swim Coaches Assosciation. The swimmers include Roman Dagesh, Tyler Furrer, Patrick Murray, Michael Verdi, Stephanie Branham, Dana Glodeck, Hannah Hudson and Jennifer Jenkins. In March at their Bluegrass mountain conference Alex Hetland was named the male swimmer of the year. He also broke the school record for the 100 breast stroke in 55.33 seconds. The previous time was held by coach Kiner.
The swim team has been getting back in the swing of things ever since the first week of school. The coaches believe in different conditioning exercises that vary from kayaking and hitting up the weight room. Their most recent practice was held at Fort De Sota beach on saturday, september 19th. It was the first time in three years they swam as a team in open water.
Coach Brennan believes conditioning is extremely essential to getting everyone back on the same page from a long summer. On their open water practice the team swam about three thousand yards for an hour. Captain Dayna Peden said, "I really enjoyed the practice, it was a lot of fun except for all the sea lice bites I got." Some swimmers even got bitten by jellyfish. Junior, Ellie Eshleman said, "I was so scared, I thought I was going to get eaten by a shark." In Ellie's recent practices she has been out swimming Female Swimmer of the Year (Bluegrass mountatin conference) Captain, Jessie Bardin.
Everyone can expect great things from the swim team this year. This is the also the largest amount of new coming freshman. The team is also very confident they are going to win, but according to junior Chris O' Linger, "it is never 100 percent that we will win, everyone still needs to come together as a team to perform their best." Their first meet is october tenth at Florida Southern University.
-Alex Guerra
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I would add a few more quotes. Try to make it less wordy as well. :) Great job though all around.
ReplyDeleteDAS
I can't believe a kid from our school got swimmer of the year. That seems like a pretty big deal. I always feel like i don't know anything about this school.
ReplyDeleteJJ