Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter
It's been a busy fall...so my apologies for not keeping up this blog. But there's a new urgency in the air, as the construction of the new Anderson Athletic Complex is being led by the new Aquatic Center. Construction is proceding so well, in fact, that we are planning to vacate O'Shaughnessy Hall at the end of the fall semester.
This first picture is several weeks old, but shows the interior looking northwest. If you look closely, you can see the double row of bleachers that will provide seating for well over 400...in a dramatic amphitheater style.
The second pic is of the beautiful limestone facing brick that is going to be the exterior of the south wall. These windows look out over the Quad, toward Aquinas Hall and the Arches. Just imagine the view in mid-winter, when the magnificent pines are covered with lights...or the view from the Quad, looking in on that beautiful expanse of water.
Exciting times ahead for Tommie Swimming and Diving.
But first, we have some business to attend to in the water...including two big invitationals either side of Thanksgiving, and then a fun weekend where we swim the last-ever meet in O'Shaughnessy Natatorium on December 11, at 6:00, against Gustavus. That meet will feature events from 1941, when the pool hosted its first meet (including the 150 Medley Relay, 220 Freestyle, 50 Yd. Dash, 150 Backstroke, 440 Freestyle, 200 Breast Stroke, and 400 Freestyle Relay.
So mark your calendars, and alumni, look for a postcard in the mail soon.
won or shared it for three straight years, and then younger brother Charlie won it in for the next two. Kirk Walton did almost as well by himself, winning or sharing the trophy four times between 1995 and 1999.
The Bob Christensen Memorial Trophy honors the Father of St. Thomas Swimming, the man who was the first coach of the Tommies. Bob Christensen (right) was hired in 1939, shortly after athletic director Jack Starrat took a group of self-coached students and gave them a chance to become champions. Within a few years, St. Thomas had its first state college championship (a pre-cursor to MIAC Swimming). Christensen was instrumental in designing the O'Shaughnessy Natatorium, and remained as St. Thomas's swim coachfor five years--winning two championships-- until World War II dramatically interrupted college life.
Starting out as a sprinter (because that's what he was in high school), Greg first one the trophy based on good, old fashioned hard work. The second year, he improved again, fairly dramatically, but clearly hadn't reached his potential. By his junior year, we finally discovered that his gifts weren't in sprinting, and he converted to distance, and blossomed! By the MIAC Championships, he had worked himself up to 10th in the 1650...pretty good stuff for a guy who came out of high school with a 50 Free personal record in the 26s.
Tony came to St. Thomas with about two years of club swimming as a 9-10 year old. But wanting to be a part of the Tommie swimming family that his brother Dave enjoyed so much, Tony joined up, and learned to swim all over again. This year, he posted sprint freestyle times of 22.90 50.79, and 1:53.90 (the 200 was a 10-second taper), his PRs by a bunch, and like Greg Fitzpatrick, the result of a lot of hard work. And, like Greg, Tony won this award as a Freshman, and while he didn't win last year, he received multiple votes. If we're judged by the company we keep, Tony is doing very well to have his career parallel a wonderful guy like "Fitty."
Our women's Most Improved is not yet named for an individual, but some wonderful people are represented on that trophy dating back to 1980, the third year of women's swimming at St. Thomas. The 2009 winner is Kristie Dameron of Chandler, AZ. Kristie improved throughout the year, getting a little faster every meet, until she dropped her sprint free times right off the edge of the table at the Minnesota Challenge. Every swim was a joy, not only for Kristie, but for those who shared the wonders of a new personal record almost every weekend.