TommieSports Blog

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.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Monday, October 5, saw the start of the 77th season of St. Thomas swimming, with the biggest, and perhaps the most powerful men's and women's teams in our history.
We currently have 66 swimmers and divers on the roster (including three women who are studying abroad, and four divers who are training at St. Kates).
Practice is a little crowded, but if Monday's practice is any indication, the energy of the team will more than make up for a few extra waves.
We welcome what is also probably the strongest first-year class we've ever had. On the women's team, the new faces are:
Ashley Anderson, Bellevue, WA
Liz Becker (daughter of Tom Becker '84), Mahtomedi, MN
Katie Bromback, Sparta NJ
Jenny Bruno, Oconomowoc, WI
Valerie Chesnik, Madison, WI
Wendy Consoer, Lakeville, MN
Kathleen Dempsey, Eagan, MN
Hali Germond, New Germany (Waconia)
Karly Harrod, Burnsville, MN
Alexis Rodarmel, Colorado Springs, CO
Jessica Root, Roseville, MN
Emma Wills, Prairie du Sac, WI
Andy Akason, Eagan, MN (Eastview)
David Bailly, Eagan, MN
Lucas Brandt, Cambridge-Isanti
Patrick Dooley, Minneapolis South
Mike Hoelterhoff, Lake Forest, IL
Jeff Isaccson, Forest Lake, MN
Dan McCourtney, Wayzata MN
Tyler Moulton, Red Wing, MN
Ethan Nimens, Crookston, MN
Ryan Panure, Hopkins, MN
Sam Rauchwarter, Eagan (Eastview)
Ben Ruhme, Bloomington (Jefferson)
Steve Stark, Ames, IA
Zak Wesen-Kahn, Irondale HS
Bo Wills, Prairie du Sac, MN

These 26 new swimmers and divers represent the strongest and deepest recruiting class we've ever had, and they join a very strong group of returnees...a group that posted the highest MIAC and NCAA finish since 1993.

What will 2010 bring, besides a fabulous new pool? Well, time and hard work will tell. But with this group, it's hard not to want to set our goals very, very high.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The 2009-2010 season begins October 5...and I know that there are about 60 swimmers and divers who can't wait. The captains have already held some optional pre-season practices and the unofficial word is that attendance has been great.

The swimmers and divers have good reason to be optimistic. We have the strongest incoming class of swimmers and divers (especially divers) that we've had in 20 years, and this fine group of new men and women join a group of returning athletes that posted our best MIAC finish in 18 years. This all means more strength, more depth, and a situation where our swimmers and divers will be challenging each other, and lifting each other.

All this adds up to a ton of optimism. We're going to have a lot of men and women scoring at the MIAC Championships. Can we win a title? That will be answered as the season goes along...but if our swimmers and divers improve like they did last season, no one will question why we set that as one of our team's goals.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BIG NEWS!!

St. Thomas sophomore distance swimmer Sam Simon completed a crossing of the English Channel last week.

The crossing took 13+ hours, and she set out in relatively good weather, which turned into very rough seas about five hours into the swim (her parents were estimating 25-foot waves). Sam's captain aboard the safety boat, who was in charge of the crossing, was going to nominate her for "toughest swimmer" of the year...whether this is an honorary or real distinction has yet to be determined, but no one on the Tommie swim team has any doubts.

Congratulations, Sam, on this remarkable feat! You're in inspiration to us all!

For an outstanding TommieMedia report by Matt Linden, follow this link and find the story among those listed:
http://www.tommiemedia.com/

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wrapping up our review of this year's team award winners, we present the winners of the Clancy, and Corbett-Walton Trophies. Our Most Team Spirit Awards are named for two families of swimmers and an individual who virtually won this award every year they were on the team.

The Clancy Trophy
The women's Most Team Spirit Award is named for the Clancy sisters, Kathy and Colleen. Between them, in the 1980s, they either won or shared this trophy seven times during their careers at UST.The 2009 winner was first-year swimmer Samantha Simon. A hard-working Fly, IM, and distance swimmer in her own right, she was as vocal as anyone on the team, and was totally unselfish in her willingness to be there for others. Unless she was getting ready to swim, Sam was at the end of the pool, keeping someone inspired.Sam will be staying in great shape this summer, as she prepares for a swim across the English Channel in August.

The Corbett-Walton Trophy
This trophy was taken over by the Corbett family between 1986 and 1990, when Tim 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.
In 2009, the overwhelming winner was Junior Tyler Chase. Tyler was always at the center of any cheer, supporting people at the end of the pool, firing people up in practice, and he carried on the traditional "Happy to be Here" shout right before we'd "power up" after the National Anthem.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

The men's captains for 2008-09 were Jeremy Anderson, Tony Linn, and Seth Warren, and the women's team captains were Krista Horejsi and Jill Otterson.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We recognize our Men's Most Improved Swimmer or Diver by honoring Greg Fitzpatrick ('84), a swimmer who won the trophy three consecutive years. 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.

This year's winner is Tony Linn, whose entire career at St. Thomas has been characterized by remarkable improvment. 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.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 06:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is the second in our series recognizing the winners of our team's annual awards. The Dave Linn and Kristen Murray Trophies honor our Sophomore and older scholar athletes with the highest cumulative GPA. These trophies are named for two athletes who have received every kind of academic recognition available to an MIAC and NCAA student-athlete.

Kristen Murray (Right, class of '02) was named MIAC Academic All-conference each of her years as a St. Thomas athlete. In 2001, she was named Co-Sida Verizon District Academic All-American, one of 20 women honored in the college division that spring., and in 2002, she was named Co-Sida Verizon At-Large National Academic All-American. Kristen was an Aquinas Scholar, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.95 G.P.A. She graduated from the University of Iowa Dental School, and is practicing dentristry with her father in Dubuque, IA.

Dave Linn (right) was twice named to the Co-Sida Verizon At-Large Natioanal Academic All-American team, and four times to the MIAC Academic All-Conference team. A pre-med major, who carried a 4.00 G.P.A through the fall of his junior year, Linn graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2005, and a month later, was named to the ESPN The Magazine's At-Large College Division Academic All-American Team.
Linn is returning to medical school after a two-year sabbatical in the seminary, including a year at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, where he studied philosophy.

This year's winner of the Dave Linn Trophy is Pat Hangge. Pat is a pre-med student, and the son of Monica and Tom Hangge, a St. Thomas basketball player in his day. Pat carries at 3.96 G.P.A. at present.

The women's team enjoyed an embarras de richesses of superb scholar-athletes, with no fewer than five women all tied (give or take a couple of hundredths) for the Murray Trophy. They are:

Anna Kramer, a junior from Madison WI., double-majoring in Journalism (Advertising and Mass Comm) and Business Admin (Marketing and Marketing Management).

Monica Beggs, sophomore, from Houston, TX, majoring in Legal Studies in Business Ethics and Business Law.

Becca Ney, Sophomore, of Plymouth, MN, double-majoring in Education and Communication Arts.

Sydney Kuramoto, Junior, of Rochester, MN, majoring in Biology (Pre-Med).

Sara Wappes, Junior, of Cloquet, MN, majoring in Biology (Pre-Med).

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the second year in a row, Jena Root and Becca Ney shared the Jerry Olson Trophy, honoring the Most Valuable Woman on our team.
Both women are NCAA qualifiers and All-Americans. Both broke two individual school records, and both have a share of four new relay school records. Both were virually unbeatable during the dual and invitational meet season.

Jena won the 100 Back at the MIAC Championships, breaking her own All-time MIAC record set at last year's nationals. Her time of 56.66 would seed her fourth in the national championships. Then, in the prelims of the 100 Back, she would swim an incredible 55.89, which would stand as the second fastest time in all of Division III this year. Jena also swam the lead-off leg on all our relays, and even held the school record in the 50 Free for a few minutes, until Becca took it back two prelim heats later. But Jena's phenomenal 100 Back stands as one of the most remarkable swims in the 32-year history of women's swimming at St. Thomas.

Becca won the 100 Free at the MIAC Championships for the second consecutive year, and qualified for both the 50 Free and 100 Free in the NCAA Championships. At Nationals, she finished as she was seeded in the 100, (14th) but hit a terrific 50 Free, moving from the 23rd seed to a 14th-place finish. While it is hard to single out one special moment, Becca's anchor legs of our relays at the conference meet were a highlight...especially her anchor of the 200 Free Relay, where she hit the water in fourth place, and overcame more than a body-length deficit to touch the wall one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Gustavus. Her split of 23.26, which she nearly repeated on the end of the 200 Medley) was a half-a-second faster than any other 50 free split posted by any swimmer in the meet.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every year, we recognize our Most Valuable, Team Spirited, and Improved Swimmer/Diver. We also recognize the team's outstanding Scholar-Athletes, Captains, and also present the Kirchgessner-Klein-Omar Bowl for Extraordinary Generosity of Spirit. These awards have significant history, going back to 1980 for the women, and 1981 for the men
In the next series of entries in this blog, I'd like to write about these trophies and their history, this year's winners, and what it all means to our program.

The Jerry Olson Memorial Trophy is awarded to our team's Most Valuable Swimmer or Diver. This year, it was presented to Peter Mullee, a junior.
This trophy is named for long-time benefactor and St. Thomas alumnus Jerry Olson, father of Hall of Fame swimmer Maureen Olson Staloch. Jerry was St. Thomas Swimming's best friend, and was among the most respected men in USA Swimming for his diplomacy and efforts in international cooperation. It is fitting that the Most Valuable athlete on our swimming and diving team receive a trophy in his honor, because his daughter won the women's team Most Valuable all three years she swam at St. Thomas.

This year's winner, Peter Mullee, like Maureen, transfered from a Division I program, and like Maureen, he swam better at St. Thomas than he did in D-1. Peter won three events at the MIAC Championship (with two MIAC Records), and placed 9th and 2nd in the 100 and 200 Back, respectively, at the NCAA Championships. His 200 Back time was under the national record, and stands as the 2nd fastest 200 Back in NCAA D-3 history. He holds six UST individual School Records, and is a part of four relay School Records.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 02:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By now, if you're a fan of UST Swimming and Diving, you have visited the Anderson Student Center and Athletic Complex web page: http://www.stthomas.edu/openingdoors/studentCenter/index.html and taken a peek at the floor plans for the new athletic complex. What you don't see in the plans or the cool video "fly-around" is the details of what will be the coolest, fastest competitive pool in this part of the country.
Here are some of the details:
The pool will be 25 yds x 33yds, with a bulkhead separting the racing course from the diving area.
The diving area will have a 1m and a 3m board over 14 feet of water, and a heated floor around both boardsThe racing course will include eight 8' 3" lanes, with all lanes of equal depth: 8' deep at the walls, and 9' down the center of the pool. And the diving area will be lined for four 6' 6" lanes, giving us 12 training lanes for swimming when the divers aren't on the boards.
As currently planned, there will be two levels of seating, with capacity (including standing room) for about 500.
We've included a state of the art timing system, integrated video and TIVO for diving and swimming,

What this all means, is that it will be the fastest 25-yard racing pool that we could possibly design (probably the fastest 25-yd pool in the Upper Midwest, if not beyond, and an amazing training facility for both swimming and diving.

After 70 years in the O'Shaughnessy Natatorium, it will feel like we've gone to Heaven...swimming and diving Heaven, anyway.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Awards Banquet, held today, was at times heart-wrenching, funny, sentimental, and often downright inspirational.

The focus this year, was on the quality of our team...not just based upon the remarkable performances we had, but on the broader picture of what it means to be a swimmer and diver at the University of St. Thomas. As I told the group of about 140 swimmers, divers, parents, and family, we believe that a St. Thomas swimmer or diver is a well-rounded individual, seeking to be the best athlete they can be, while also being the best student they can be. Then, add to that a sense of involvement on campus, and top it off with a generous spirit of a young man or woman who knows what it means to give back, and you have a member of the St. Thomas swimming and diving family.

Of course, we can't neglect the 22 new School Records we set (we actually broke existing school records 38 times, as we broke and re-broke records all season long). We can't neglect the 69 new entries on the All-time Top 15 Performances list...or the 8 MIAC Championships...or the 4 MIAC Meet Records and 3 MIAC All-Time Records. And we need to honor our four All-Americans, and the fact that Jena Root posted the 2nd-fastest 100 Back in all of D-III swimming this year. And also that Peter Mullee, in taking 2nd in the 200 Back at Nationals, swam the 2nd fastest 200 Back in the history of D-III Men's Swimming.

Just think for a second what that means...the 2nd fastest time swum by any woman this year in the 100 Back, and the 2nd fastest 200 Back ever swum by a man in NCAA D-III competition.

Do you know how they did it? By doing exactly what everyone else on the team did. Focusing on stroke, training at race pace, and then going out and swimming with confidence and a soul that will not be denied. Both are the wonderful by-products of hard work.

Which brings me to the theme of this year's banquet. This year's story included all those wonderful individual records, but it was, at its core, a story of 54 swimmers and divers. For we had, this year, a broad array of talents on the team...from record breakers to swimmers who learned flip turns in the Palace Clubhouse. But everyone was on the same page in terms of training and a willingness to place their wishes secondary to the needs of The Family, and our team's goals.

Before the banquet, I e-mailed each team member and asked about their major, minor, campus involvment, and, "What was the highlight or most memorable moment of the season?" I haven't done a scientific analysis yet, but I'm guessing that 95% of the team wrote about the excitement of the conference meet and the Minnesota Challenge, and how everyone swam so well, or, they wrote about watching someone else swim spectacularly well. They found joy in the success of their team and teammates. You can't coach that kind of unselfishness, it has to come from character.

To illustrate this concept in a little more detail, the story of Tyler Chase is worth telling. Tyler is a junior distance freestyler whose work, internship, and volunteer experiences cut into his training time some, and kept him from double practices. He and senior Matt Swanson were "on the bubble" for selection to the 18-person MIAC Men's Team, and each was swimming events where their best chance of scoring would be, in all honesty, if the entry list in one of their events thinned out some. Both had earned it, so the decision really came down to senior, or junior. I chose Matt, the senior. When I went to shake Tyler's hand and inform him of the decision, he told me, "It's OK...I would have asked you to take Matt, anyway." You can't coach that...it comes from character.

A couple of weeks later, in a vote of his teammates, Tyler was named this year's winner of the Corbett-Walton Trophy, for Most Team Spirit. The voting wasn't even close. Like I said, the records are nice, but athletes with generous souls are every bit as important.

The other trophy winners are:

Jerry Olson Memorial (Most Valuable)
Women: Jena Root and Rebecca Ney
Men: Peter Mullee

Most Improved Woman: Kristi Dameron
Greg Fitzpatrick Memorial (Most Improved Man): Tony Linn

Clancy Trophy (Most Team Spirit, Woman): Samantha Simon
Corbett-Walton Trophy (Most Team Spirit, Man): Tyler Chase

Dave Linn Trophy (Men's Scholar Athlete): Pat Hangge
Kristen Murray Trophy (Women's Scholar Athlete): 5-way Tie: Monica Beggs, Anna Kramer, Sydney Kuramoto, Rebecca Ney, and Sara Wappes.

Bob Christensen Memorial (Team Captains): Sydney Kuramoto, Jena Root, Tony Linn, John Stark

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm sure you'll all understand, but I'm honestly just too exhausted to write an extensive blog tonight.

Suffice it to say, that we ended on a very, very good note.

Becca improved both her time and place, finishing 14th in one of the toughest, deepest events in the meet...the 100 Free.

And then Peter Mullee finished second in the 200 Back by 14 one-hundredths, swimming an incredible race and finishing under the National Record. It was a joy to watch, and as aggressive and gutsy a swim as you'd ever want to see.

What a way to conclude our incredible season.

More tomorrow...or maybe Monday.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One more session to go, but a fun session it will be. Peter qualified 5th in the 200 Back, with a lifetime PR, School Record, and All-Time MIAC Record. He just swam great...going out after the race and hanging really tough in the second 100. He has really settled in to a great meet...and tonight should be a great race.

Becca made it back in the 100 Free, and the consolation heat should be anyone's race, with only about .4 separating Becca from 10th. She is a great finals swimmer, and a great racer, so tonight's race will be like Peter's...just have fun and GO, GO, GO!

Jena and Erik swam tough, but were not expected to crack the top 16. They end their incredibly successful seasons at the conclusion of today's prelims. Congratulations, All-Americans, MIAC Record Holders, MIAC Champs Jena Root and Erik Huls!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday, just before Erik Huls's heat in the 100 Fly finals, we got to talking about the parents in the stands, supporting our little gang of four at the meet.

Remember, Thursday at the Nationals was a day off for Jena, Becca, and Peter...Erik was the only one swimming. But, there in the stands, cheering, were the Mullees, Judy Ney, and John, Debbie, and Jessica Root. Of course, Erik had his family there, with his sister, girlfriend and family friend with their hand-made t-shirts.

We noted that, even though they didn't have a child swimming that day, they were still there, supporting, every session. And it prompted Peter to say, "We have the most supportive fans in the country."

And while it may be difficult to quantify, Peter's sentiment certainly isn't wrong.

As the coach of these wonderful kids (and 50 more that didn't qualify for this meet, but were in the stands making a LOT of noise for Jena and Peter tonight), I see that these kids aren't quality people--with big, generous hearts--by accident. They learned from the generous moms and dads in the stands. And as proud as I am of these four, and the 50 they also represent, I am also very happy for the parents who get to enjoy these moments of surpassing pride and love as these record-breaking, All-American swimmers make their mark...also among the best in the country.

Peter said it best, as he went down to swim his off-day warm-up, "It's awesome."

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 09:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With Peter and Jena swimming their 100 Back finals tonight, we had high hopes. But, before the warm-up, Jena's new Speedo LZR suit developed a weakness along a seam, and looked like it could go at any minute. Some SuperGlue closed the inside, but the weakness was at a spot where you wouldn't want the suit to let go as you jumped in the water for the start.

So Jena made a difficult, but courageous decision to downgrade to a Speedo Pro, a lesser level suit, and try to make up the difference with heart and determination. It wasn't enough...but she will come out of the 2009 NCAA Nationals with the 2nd fastest time in the meet, and one of the fastest 100 Backstrokes ever recorded in NCAA history...a remarkable 55.89.

Peter Mullee also made a courageous decision, to just "go for it" in his 100 back. He was first off the start, first at the wall, and was never challenged. He won the consol heat going away, and posted the 5th fastest time in the meet.

We've had our share of adversity in this meet, but in the end, the kids have always been a little tougher than the challenges, and done very, very well.

Tomorrow, we wrap up the season with some 100 Freestyles for Becca, Jena, and Erik, and Peter's 200 Back, where I know he will "go for it" one more time, this time with a lot more confidence and the determination we have come to know so well.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jena Root took on the #1 seed in the last heat of the 100 Back, Olivia Zaleski of Dennison, and the two of them raced to the top two qualifying spots in the event. Jena went out under total control, and then just kept building. She had perfect splits of 27.2 / 28.6 and looked great throughout.

It's going to be a fun finals...and I get to hand out the trophies for the women's 100 Back.

Peter got back, but to the consols. Just never quite got his sprint turnover into the race. I know that a good one is still in there, though, and I look for him to shake off everyone else's expectations and just be the great swimmer I know him to be. He's a competitor, and there's no better time than in a close final to just get determined, fire up the Big Heart, and go race.

Becca had a very solid 100 backstroke, considering that we've focused her training almost entirely on freestyle...the 100 Free especially. So tomorrow is Becca's day...but don't ignore Peter's 200 Back, or Erik and Jena's 100 Free.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Against the best flyers in Division III, Freshman Erik Huls held his own. He repeated his prelim time, within two one-hundredths, swimmming a better paced race, but with a couple of sluggish turns. He was right in the middle of one of the closest finishes in the meet so far: 7/100ths of a second separated a tie for 10th from 13th place.

Last year, Erik was an all-state sprinter freestyler, with a butterfly that was a Farmington HS school record, but not state meet material. But, with a little time in the weight room with teammate Grant Frost, and some serious stroke work, he has improved from being a butterflyer whose time didn't get out of sections, to posting the 6th fastest 100 fly in all of Division III.

That kind of improvment doesn't happen by accident...it was the result of a lot of hard work and one of the Big Hearts that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. Scroll down on this blog page, and read about the larger Family of which Erik is such an important part.

Tomorrow, Erik gets a well-earned rest (except to take two mid-term exams), and Jena, Peter, and Becca all take a run at the 100 Back. Jena is the #4 seed, Peter #3, and Becca is back a bit at 31st, but only half a second out of scoring. It's going to be fun...again!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Erik Huls, the top first-year swimmer in the 100 Fly, qualified 10th in a tough 100 Fly. Erik is the lone Freshman in the champ or consolation finals.

He had a great start, and was out incredibly fast (maybe a little too fast--I had 9.99 on my stopwatch) and he was 22.47 at the 50. The last 25 was solid, but a glide into the finish gives us the real hope that he'll likely be under :49 in the finals tonight...an unbelievable swim for a Freshman (or any class, for that matter).

Erik already holds the MIAC Meet Record, and Matt Zelen's All-Time MIAC Record of 48.86 could be in danger tonight. Remember, Erik dropped a half-second from prelims to finals in the conference meet. And he qualified this morning faster than he qualified at the MIAC Championships.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The headline is that Becca Ney broke her own school record (again) in the 50 Free last night at the nationals, placing in a tie for 6th in the consolation final.

The fun story behind the headline is, that this 50 Free School Record has taken a real beating in the last month. Hop in the time machine to February 19.

In the MIAC Prelims, in heat 6, Jena Root breaks Becca's 2008 record, going 24.12.
Two heats later, Becca breaks Jena's two-minute old record, going 23.81.
Then, a month later, in the prlims of the NCAA's, Becca drops the record to 23.79.
And tonight, she goes faster yet, breaking the record for a fourth time in four weeks, going 23.77.

And by the way, Erik Huls and Peter Mullee did the same thing in the Men's 50 at conference.
Erik broke TJ Hardy's school record in the prelims of the 50, going 20.91
That night, leading off the 200 Free Relay, Peter breaks Erik's record, going 20.33.
And about an hour later, in the open 50, Peter goes 20.19 to break his own record.

At the end of the year, in the books, it will look like we just set a couple of new records in the 50 this year...but it was a record that was broken seven times by four different Tommies.

Tomorrow, Erik Huls swims the 100 Fly, as Jena, Becca, and Peter have the day off. Can't wait.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ying/Yang
Good News/Bad News
Love/Hate
Hit/Miss

The 50 Free has always been an all-or-nothing proposition. It's either perfect, and you go fast, or you make maybe one mistake, and you're slow. Ugh.

Today, we had both the good news and the bad news, as all four swimmers were in the 50.

Becca dropped three one-hundredths, set a new school record, and moved from her 23rd seed to 14th!
Jena had a really solid race, but was in-between on her finish and added only a few one-hundrethds of a second....but moved up 4 places.
Erik was next up, and was unsteady on his start, and was rocking backward when the horn went off. He looked fantastic in the water, but had given up too much on the start. He added a couple of tenths.
And Peter also fell prey to a case of the nerves, and false-started in the 50. Tough to take, because even a solid swim would have put him in the top 8. But despite the disappointment, by the end of lunch he had left it behind as a lesson learned the hard way, and was already looking forward to the 100 back tomorrow.

Clearly, from Becca and Jena's swims (and Erik's last 40 yards), we know that we're really fast. We just need to relax a little and focus on our process...the process of being fast. I know they'll do that...starting with Becca in the 50 Finals tonight.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 02:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our last week of the season...it was just a week shy of six months ago that we gathered on October 6th for our first practice together.

About 70 people were on the first roster, a combination of people who attended the organizational meeting, and others we knew were going to be on the roster, but were studying abroad or just couldn't make the meeting.

Then, by the end of October, the roster settled in at 60...57 swimmers and three divers, with three studying abroad. We stayed at about that number most of the year, until MIAC rules required we select 18 men and 18 women to swim and dive at the conference championship. So, reluctantly, we whittled down to that requisite number (actually, 19 men, as divers count as 1/3 of an entry, because they have only two events in which they can score).

So, about 16 Pathfinders swam their hearts out at the MInnesota Challenge, and 37 went on to make some history at the MIAC Championships.

Of the 37, 13 extended their season by a bit by making NCAA A and B Qualifying Times. As the NCAA entry times were posted across the country, the sheer reality of the mathematics made it obvious that some weren't going to make the cut. The last to go was the 400 Free Relay, which was the 2nd alternate. As of the last update (March 10), there haven't been enough (if any) athletes dropping out of the meet to give the relay any hope.

So, we are now a team of four. But what a four it is.
Junior Jena Root is qualified 4th in the 100 Back and will also swim the 50 Free and 100 Free. Her 100 Back time is the all-time conference record. Jena battled a cold, but was on the mend by early last week and the backstroke she is swimming in practice is fast and looks very strong. If you watched Jena at the MIAC's, you saw her incredible determination and the power she brings to her 2nd 50 without sacrificing any speed on the way out. Her 100 Back is going to be fun to watch.

Sophomore Becca Ney is swimming the 50 Free, 100 Back, and the 100 Free, which she won at the conference meet and takes a 13th place seed into Nationals. While Becca is a superb 50 Freestyler with a great 100 Back, she was built for the 100 Free. She has that long, smooth stroke and the ability to get out fast and then slip into another gear. She has been blistering her dive start 25s in practice and has improved her dive and breakout a bunch.

Junior Peter Mullee is qualified in the top 6 of all his events: 50 Free, 100 Back (seeded 3rd with his MIAC All-Time record), and 200 Back. Peter is the fourth swimmer to transfer to St. Thomas from a Division I program, and all four have swum faster at UST than at their D-I school. Peter has an incredible ability to explode off the start, and we've actually altered his breakout technique to shave off some time. He is a fierce competitor, and anyone who wants to finish ahead of him at nationals better plan on being fast, indeed.

First-Year butterflier Erik Huls may have been a surprise to some people at the conference meet, where he won the 100 fly going away, with the 2nd fastest time ever recorded in MIAC history (and a meet record). Erik swam with a big heart, just going out as hard as he could, and hanging on. We've refined the race plan a bit, and with three solid weeks of speed work, our stopwatches may need seat belts. Erik is also swimming the 50 Free and 100 Free, two events where he may not yet know how fast he can go.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

You may have noticed a little gap since the last entry in this blog. I confess to a certain paralysis when trying to assign words to describe what happened at the conference meet. The metaphors all fail: rolling white thunder, a tsunami of lifetime bests, a bunch of conference champions. The facts don't tell all the story: ten national B-cut qualifiers, three A-cut qualifiers plus Becca, who will go in the 100 Free also, 21 school records, 70 new entries in the Top 15.

Well, you saw the press releases, you know the story. It was so much fun, and so remarkable as to be almost unbelievable.

Coaches dream of hitting a taper like this, where everyone catches fire and feeds off of each other, and the lifetime bests and great swims just keep coming. Incredibly, we have "hit" like this three years in a row!

One of the reasons why this happened, I believe, is the well-earned confidence of the swimmers and divers. They just decided that they could compete with anyone in the meet, and then went out and swam their races and dove their dives...under control, smart, but with great courage and a determination forged by four and a half months of dedicated training in the pool, on the boards, and in the weight room.

None of this just happens, and it certainly isn't luck, or just fast suits, or extra carbs. It's something that comes from deep in the heart...and the bigger the heart, the deeper one can reach down into it, and the more courage it contains.

At St. Thomas, we work to create big hearts, in many ways--our training, our community service, our dedication to academics, our involvment on campus, and most of all, our sense of family, I'm a big believer in the balance of all those things for what they do in the development of the whole person in college. Big hearts are found in generous, unselfish people, and we have lots of 'em in our swimming and divng family.

And big hearts pay dividends, too, when you stand up on the blocks against fine swimmers from other schools...and your whole season calls for a reckoning in a half-dozen swims over three days. The pressure is incredible. So, you reach down...deep...for courage. And you know, in your heart, that what you have earned over the last four months is good...certainly good enough.

Then you take a deep breath, and go race.

This is what we did at the conference meet--over 100 times--and our races proved to be more than just "good enough". This will be one for the ages, but it's also just a beginning. Because when a new group of first-year students sits in our basement at the Bonfire Bash, and watches the team video from this incredible year, they will feel the first bits of the building of a big heart...and they will become Family.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We had such a phenomenal day, on so many levels, that trying to describe it simply won't do it justice.

You had to be there...like about 150 of our parents, UST students, and swimming alumni were. The atmosphere was just electric, and we started to roll as both women's and men's 200 Medley Relays took second, both shattering the school records and making strong national cuts.

Then, Elise Andersen won consols in the 400 IM, improving nine seconds from her prelim time. Then in the men's IM, Andrew Spratt, Ian Watters, Kirk Stearns, and Matt Moore all went lifetime bests (5th, 4th, 9th and School Record, respectively).

Amy Krueger and Ali Krieger went lifetime bests in the 100 Fly, then Erik Huls won the men's 100 fly with an Automatic NCAA qualifying time, an MIAC Meet Record, and another UST school record.

In the 200 Free, Layla Clauss and monica Beggs moved up, then Maddie Frost swam the second fastest 200 Free in school history, going 1:55.95, missing the record by less than 3 tenths.

100 Breast...Jill Otterson moved up a place, and Krista Horejsi went her lifetime best by two seconds. six men qualified, all held place or moved up, with Jeff Buchholz and Jamie Byrnes going 1-2 in the consol heat, before Grant Frost, John Stark and Nick Frost went 4-5-7 respectively.

Then, the 100 Back, and the women's domination of both the consols and the finals. Four women (Lexi Marthaler, Lauren Williamson, Ali Krieger and Amy Krueger all set lifetime bests in the consols, and Jena Root and Becca Ney went 1-3 in the Champ Final, with Jena breaking her own MIAC All-time record and the Meet Record, and easily making the Automatic NCAA qualifying standard.

Then, in the men's 100 Back, Alec Nielsen and Seth Warren went bests in the consol heat (and 9th and 14th on the All-Time Top 15 list), before Peter Mullee won the 100 Back with a Meet Record (although his lead-off leg in the 400 Medley Relay last night was faster yet, and well below the NCAA Automatic qualifying time).

The 800 Free Relays each swam beautifully, with great splits from some very tired arms.

The spirit was amazing...the emotions running high all night long. There's no question that we're swimming the best meet we've had in a long, long time...and that's saying something after last year's incredible championship. We set six school records today, bringing the total for the meet to 15...with a full day left to go.

If you're reading this, and want to join the fun, come down to the Aquatic Center at the U of M, prelims start at 10:30, with finals at 6:30. You may not believe your eyes.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last year, we were ecstatic at breaking 14 school records during the incredible season we enjoyed.

Already, after only one day of the MIAC Championships, we have set nine new records, and three Automatic National Cuts (Peter Mullee's 50 Free and 100 Back) and Jena Root's 100 Back). Becca Ney also posted a 50 Free time that is a scant tenth of a second from the A Cut. Incredible.

We won the 200 Free Relay with a time that will certainly be among those considered for nationals, and we have a better relay coming tomorrow in the 200 Medley.

It's too late (almost 11:30 PM), and I'm heading to bed...but watch the Tommiesports.com site for updates, and I'll try to keep this blog current.

Suffice it to say that we're having an incredible meet, and I'm so proud of our kids that I could just burst.

If any of you need something to do Friday or Saturday night, come to the Aquatic Center and watch us swim and dive. You won't be disappointed.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Where do I start? I have good news and more good news.

Well, here goes: We set four new school records in the prelims of six events and the Board of Trustees voted to build a new pool!!!

Andrew Spratt destroyed the 500 school record (set by Enda Moore 14 years ago) with a 4:43.72, dropping more time than anyone in the champ finals. Ian Watters took 16th with a 20-second drop and lifetime PR.

Then, in heat 5 of the women's 50, Jena Root broke Becca Ney's 50 Free record, going 24.14 and making a national cut. Then, two heats later, Becca set another new record, going 23.81 to qualify first with a time just a tenth off the automatic national qualifying time. In the same heat, Maddie Frost dropped more time than anyone in the finals, with a 24.69 (the 4th fastest in UST history), qualifying in a tie for 9th. Those three women join Ali Krieger tonight, in what will be a run at both the 200 Free Relay school record and the national qualifying standard.

In the very next event, Erik Huls and Peter Mullee share the last heat of the 50 Free. Erik touched Peter out, and in the process broke TJ Hardy's school record, going 20.91. Those two will join Nick Frost (Maddie's brother) and Alec Nielsen as they make a run at the 200 Free Relay school record.

And we may not be done. Peter Mullee and Jena Root will be leading off the 400 Medley Relays tonight (two more records possible there), and both relays have a great chance to see school records, too.

Stay tuned...we're just getting started!

And, in case you missed it, the new athletic center project was approved by the Trustees today, and construction will start in May. A brand new, 25 yard x 38 yard (diving area separated by a bulkhead) 8-foot deep racing area pool will open around Thanksgiving time of 2010.

What a great day to be a Tommie!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Only in recent years has our team been so large that we haven't been able to take almost everyone to the MIAC Championships. Conference and NCAA rules limit the squad size to 18 competitors for each gender, and with our team roster this year at 28 women and 25 men (with four of those studying abroad this term), we tapered a number of kids for the Minnesota Challenge.

Their job was to swim great, of course, and show the rest of the team what the taper would do, and what magic the MIAC team had to look forward to...and they didn't disappoint.

To a person, they swam out of their heads. We had 100% seasons best, lots of lifetime personal bests, and lots and lots of big drops. A "Big Drop" in swimming is taking like two seconds per 100 yards off your season's best time if you're a woman, maybe three seconds if you're a man.

At right, Pat Hangge and Louie Czech take their marks for the 50 Free.

Well, all weekend long, the Pathfinders took turns making the Big Drops. Erin Weber started the party by dropping 17 seconds in the 500, then Louis Czech dropped 3+ in the 100 Back, breaking the 1:00 barrier. Marcy Warren too three seconds off her 100 fly, and her freestyle splits in the relays were every bit as good. Caitlin Gill hit seasons bests every time she hit the water in her best meet in two years...Kristen Luedtke took 6.5 seconds off her 200 Breast, and half that off of her 100. And the 200 Freestylers were even better: Janet Manthey and Bridget Kaper dropped 4...Pat Hangge dropped 6, and Sam Johnson (who was insane all weekend) took 8.5 off of his 200 Free, then turned around and went 51.66 on the 400 Free Relay, his best 100 all year by about four seconds and a lifetime PR by a bunch.

At right: The women's 400 Free Relay. Janet Manthey's last event as a collegiate swimmer.

You can just imagine the emotion, and also how excited their teammates were...not just for these great swims, but as they now look forward to their own taper, they have an idea of how incredibly fast they will be in a few days...thanks to our Pathfinders!

Photos by Debbie Root.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you've been to a Tommie swim meet, you've seen them...the swimmers and divers who stand at the end of the lane and cheer on their teammates. We do this as well as any team in our conference (in my totally unbiased opinion), and it says something about the quality of our kids that so many of them are there for their teammates.

Yet, out of this very generous group, there are some who are there all the time. Not just when their best friends or roommates are swimming, but all the time.
I'm not foolish enough to try to list them, for fear of leaving someone off the list...but there are a few that certainly deserve recognition as representative of this group. Like Bridget Kapler and Kaysa Mestnik, pictured above, cheering on Ian Watters. Another major force in the cheering department is junior D-man Tyler Chase, whose enthusiasm is as positive as it is loud.

Photo by Debbie Root.

Sometimes, it gets a little intense. Here, Janet Manthey, Matt Moore, Krista Horejsi, and Tony Linn point out that there is a Blazer worth catching in the next lane.

Photo by Mike Eckern

And what goes around, comes around. Here, Jill Otterson is in the water, and Janet, Sydney Kuramoto, and Krista provide the encouragement. Their sincerity and passion is clearly evident in the expression on their faces. How can we fail when we have support like that?

photo by Greg Smith

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the last 30 years, we have kept a list of the Top 15 swimming and diving performances in our school's swimming history, including three from Kasya and Neal on the diving team just yesterday. This past two weekends, since we got back from our Christmas training, that list has taken a pounding. This past weekend alone, for example, we added 10 new entries including Peter Mullee's school record swim in the 200 Freestyle (which, by the way, was his 6th swim in about 20 hours).

Up at the SJU/CSB Winter Invitational, we had about a half a dozen more. Next week, when we swim St. Olaf at home (Friday at 6:00) and then head over Saturday to the Macalester Invite 2, I expect a bunch more.

Do you remember last year, when we just about flipped our lids with pride when we had 69 new Top 15 entries after our great conference meet? Well, already this year, we have already posted 27 new Top-15ers, all before taper.

This is one indicator, for our top swimmers. But as a team, just how well are we swimming? Well, I'd venture to say that we have had at least 15 lifetime PRs set already this year...and that's not counting the multiple PRs that our swimmers and divers set as they continue to improve. Sydney Kuramoto is a good example of this, as she is lowering her PR by about a second each time she hits the water in the 200 IM or 200 Back. Probably 90% of the team is swimming at or faster that their best-ever pre-taper and unhsaved times.

And given the quality of our tapers year after year, that's exciting.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our program is unique in so many ways...our emphasis on community service, how our training allows for campus involvement and academic excellence, all while we swim faster than purple rocket ships. But there's another dimension of our family...something that I've been aware of for a while, but was illustrated so beautifully this past weekend, that I wanted to share it.

Almost all teams have swimmers that compete directly with teammates for places on the relay, who swims in the #1 spot in an event, etc. We've all heard the horror stories of how these competitions turn into rivalries, which then turn into bitter, nasty, conflict that can create cancerous cliques and tear teams apart.

But last weekend, as I looked down the rows of seats in the bus on the way home from the SJU/CSB Winter Invite, what do I see but our two senior breast strokers, Krista Horejsi and Jill Otterson, sitting side by side, talking away, smiles, laughs, doing all the stuff that great friends do. A couple of rows back, it's Jena Root and Becca Ney, our two top backstrokers/sprint freestylers, also doing what great friends do. (You remember that last year at the MIAC Championships, Jena qualified first in the 100 Back Prelims with a NCAA cut, and Becca won the event in Finals. Rivalry? You should've seen the hugs after the race.

"She's my inspiration, my push," says Jena, "We help each other be fast" They both admit to being a little nervous last year, but the apprehension quickly melted into mutual respect and from that, a great friendship developed. Now, they are fast friends, and both rejoice in the other's success...no matter which place it is..."As long as we go 1-2," smiled Jena. For Becca, Jena "is always someone I can lean on before or after a race to give me encouraging words of support. We tell each other that 'we will love each other no matter how each of us swims.' "

For Jill and Krista, it's been a natural friendship that transcends anything in the pool. It's more of a coincidence that they swim the same races. When asked about this phenomenon, Krista instantly said, "I love her!" and Jill agreed. For them, it has been Krista's emergence as a force in the breast stroke that could have been a threat to Jill...but neither would have any of that. While Jill nursed the classic sore knees of a breast stroker, Krista was posting lifetime best 200s and 100s within tenths of her conference meet times. Did this stress the friendship? Only if you consider how Krista might have worried about Jill's feelings.

Rivalry? More like Support Group. Jill, Krista, Jena, and Becca aren't unique on the team, either. We have breast strokers John Stark and Grant Frost (or Grant and Jeff Buchholz)...or Peter Mullee and Erik Huls You get the sense that there's something special going on. Becca says, it's "what we are about as Tommies."

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Although it took a while to pay 30 separate checks, our team dinner at Carrabbas last night was the perfect (almost) ending to a great week of training in Ft. Myers (I say almost, because we had a relaxing recovery practice this morning). We leave for the airport in a few minutes, so this will be short. But the weather was great, the beaches relaxing, and the workouts intense. We got in a lot of quality, both for the sprint and stroke groups, but some great distance sets for the D-peeps as well.

There are plenty of sore shoulders, which is normal with this kind of training, but spirits have been uniformly high and there have been a lot of laughs and fun times to go along with the daily pattern of swim, nap, eat, nap (often on the beach), swim, eat, sleep. I could not be more pleased with the work ethic.

Huge thanks to assistant coach Aly Janzen and her husband Ryan, who helped immensely. Ryan drove vans, ran a stopwatch, and ferried people to and from the airport. Their help is really, really appreciated.

So, home to the snow and cold, but with a very clear focus on the end-of-season goals, and a great base from which to work toward them.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We were at the mercy of the elements on Friday (fog in Atlanta, specifically), and checked in to the hotel in Ft. Myers at about 1:30 AM Saturday morning. The alarms still went off at 5:30, and 29 brave swimmers hit the water an hour later. Back to breakfast and a long winter's nap, and we were back at it again at 6:00 that night.

The swimmers (and the coaches) may be tired, but we haven't missed a beat, getting some good work in.

In between, there's been time for relaxing on the beach, a run to church today, and some dry-land power work and even an ab/core workout. It doesn't hurt that the temps have been in the 80s, with plenty of sun (and, of course, sunscreen).

More to come.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We have an expression that we use in the middle of a set, to remind us that at the halfway point in a set, we build it up a little...make it a little stronger...drop our times a bit. It's "Happy Halfway" and it translates direclty into how we swim our races, that we consciously pick it up at the halfway point. There are a number of reasons we have been saying this for the past 25 years...we've even had it printed on our practice caps. Perhaps the most important reason that, often right in the middle of a race, you begin to feel the beginnings of some fatigue...and the last thing you should be thinking about is, "Golly, I'm starting to get a little tired here...." It's much better to be thinking, "Okay, here we go...time to build it up...."

Well, it's Happy Halfway in the season, and the perfect time to look at what has been a terrific first half, but also remind ourselves that we need to pick it up a little, and remember that our schedule and academic load really allow us to do so.

We started the season on a very high note...with some PR's, a school record, and a majority of our swimmers very near their best-ever un-tapered times. We have built a good sense of family, and have taken part in quite a number of different community service events, both as a team and individually. We have done very well in the classroom.

But, our swimming and diving goals and dreams remain out there, like the second half of a race. And also like a race, we cannot focus on the end results (although that is very tempting and easy to do), we need to focus on the process...how we get there.

Sure, we can dream about everyone in the MIAC meet getting back to a final and scoring team points. We can dream about relays getting to nationals...about winning six or seven events at conference...about re-writing the record board as we did last year. After all, we're on pace to do just that.

But to focus on the dream alone is to miss out on how you get there. And that is where the good stuff of athletics resides--in the journey. "Happy Halfway" reminds us of how we get there, by deciding to get a little stronger, powering it up a little, finding the next gear. So, that's our task for the next couple of months. For swimmers and divers training at home, or maybe down in Florida, and then together during J-term.

It's time to pick it up a little, and build on what we have already accomplished...if we do, the dreams will come true and the goals will be met.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've written before about the incredible excitement that our swimmers have generated this year...everywhere I go on campus, people ask about the great start to the season that our swimmers and divers have built. It's fun to have six of the fastest times in the conference (Becca Ney, Sam Simon, Peter Mullee, and our 200 and 400 Medley Relays --Jena Root, Jill Otterson, Ali Krieger/Maddie Frost, and Becca), and also have Peter Mullee's 100 back among the fastest in all Division III.

That excitement was bumped up even more by the decision of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees to recommend to the full board that UST move ahead with the new athletic facilities...which includes plans for a wonderful new pool on the site of Foley Theater. http://www.stthomas.edu/bulletin/news/200850/Friday/Opus12_12_08.cfm
The pool will be about 25 x 36 yards with a bulkhead separating a diving area (which can also be used for training), giving us the potential of 12 training lanes, plus warm-up/cool-down lanes when we host meets. It also means that our divers can train with us...and compete at our pool!! But equally exciting is the fact that the shallow end is planned to be eight feet deep at the shallowest point...making for an incredible racing course. Obviously, as more details become firm, we can share them...but barring (further) national economic catastrophe, the new pool looks very much like a reality.

Yet, on the heels of this announcement came the sad news of the passing of Bob Christensen, the father of St. Thomas Swimming and Diving. Bob was St. Thomas's first coach, hired in 1937, to create teams at the college and the academy. He brought the first conference swimming championships to UST, in 1940 and 1941, before World War II ended his tenure at St. Thomas. If you haven't seen it yet, click on alum Michael Jordan's (2008) wonderful short history of St. Thomas Swimming to learn more: http://stream.stthomas.edu/view.htm?id=SwimmingDivingHistory

For those of you at either of the two Alumni Meet/Reunion Dinners that Bob attended, you will remember him as a true educator and a man with a warm wit and a wonderfully generous spirit. At the start of the St. John's/St. Ben's dual meet, we offered a moment of silence. And although the Bob Christensen Trophy, given to our team captains, is now a memorial trophy, I don't think we'll change the engraving to include "memorial." Better that it reflect that our memories of Bob are the foundation stones that keep our program alive...this wonderful sense of family.

And family was at the top of the tree yesterday as 50-some swimmers and divers gathered in our home to share dinner, and--in one very croweded living room--exhange gifts with their Pep Pals (another 30 year-old tradition), and then open gag gifts wrapped in newspaper. I've never heard so much laughter in one room in my life. What a joy.

And if Family didn't need any more reinforcing, this morning, Michele and I finally got around to opening a couple of days' worth of Christmas cards...(it's been a little busy around the house, with Michele going like a machine getting the house and the dinner ready for the party). Anyway, many, many of our Christmas cards now contain pictures of the second generations coming into our extended family...and alums, we thank you for these and treasure these. These are--hands down--the cutest kids on Planet Earth. I hope to find a way to share them and other alumni-related news on an alumni web page on the swimming site...so stay tuned.

But for all of you who read this...swimmers & divers, alumni, parents & family, fans, and friends...I hope that the Christmas season finds all of you in good health and that you all find your hearts warmed by all our news...both happy and sad...news of the things that draw us together, and make us family.

Merry Christmas to all of you...with love, thanks, and a warm heart.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can't remember the last time that both sides of a co-ed dual meet were decided in the last relay. To say that the meet was exciting was an understatement. There were great races all night long...even the exhibition heats had exciting races.

Here's how close this meet was: There were nine races in the women's meet where the finishers were separated by fewer than 87 one-hundreths of a second, and half of those were decided by three tenths of less. The men's meet had four events decided by four tenths or less, with Jeremy Anderson missing second place in the 1m Diving by 85 hundredths of a point. That's one of three judges throwing an extra half-point on just one of six dives (at a 2.0 DD).

Of the thirteen close finishes, we came out ahead on nine of them. While it would have been wonderful to swing a couple of the other close ones, and win the meet, I'm not complaining. We competed hard against a very good team.

We talk a lot about "winning the close ones." There is scarcely a better illustration that a tenth of a second on a turn or breakout or race plan or start or finish, when you add two or three of those tiny gains together, can turn a loss into a win for the Tommies.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This November 5th, St. Thomas and Carleton College swimming teams will mark the 14th anniversary of competition for the The Margate Memorial Trophy. This trophy is an emblem of the sportsmanship and friendship between the two schools that goes back many years. Here’s how the trophy came to be:

At the St. John’s Invitational in January, 1994, the Carleton food service sent them to the meet with a box of bagels and a three-pound brick of cream cheese that had, according to the expiration date on the carton, expired three months earlier (hence the "Memorial" trophy). Tommies joined Knights and Carls in a complex combination of mourning (over the expired cream cheese) and indignation that the Carleton swimmers and divers would be treated with such disrespect by their own food service. This shared moment wove a fabric of friendship between the teams that can only be described as “well beyond diaphanous,” and led to the creation of the Margate Memorial Trophy, in memory of the expired three-pound brick of cream cheese.

Hours of painstaking woodwork and careful engraving created the trophy that is so respected today. Each year's dual meet is preceded by a ceremony, where the trophy is presented for competition by the home team. The level of creativity in these presentation ceremonies needs to be seen to be believed, of course.

While the Margate Memorial Trophy may not rival the Little Brown Jug, Floyd of Rosedale, or Paul Bunyan's Axe, it is emblematic of Division III swimming, which can be both fun and very competitive.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Even though we were missing a half-dozen swimmers (they were attending TJ Hardy's wedding), we still outnumbered and outscored the rest of the teams in the Augsburg Pentathlon. Here's the news story:
http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/AUG_10-25.html

But, for me, the story was about how well we swam this early in the season. A bunch of swimmers hit times very close to their best from last year, and even more were not far off their best pre-taper from last year.

Three new swimmers were very impressive, winning half of the meet's ten events between them: Maddie Frost, a first-year swimmer from Stillwater, won the 100 Fly and the 100 IM. Erik Huls, a FY sprinter from Farmington won the 100 fly in a time that is less than a half-second off his lifetime PR, and Peter Mullee, our junior transfer from the U of Minn, won the 100 Free and the 100 back despite having the flu. His back time was only nine tenths off of Dave Linn's school record.

These stars are only half the story, however. It would take a page to list all the surprisingly good swims that we had all the way up and down the line-up.

Obviously, the swimmers noticed too. On the way to my office, after practice this morning, I overheard snippets of talk in the men's locker room...it was all about how fast a medley relay we could put together. I'd wouldn't be surprised if a number of personal goals were modified this weekend, too...for the faster.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's been an amazing start to a season filled with promise. This team has really hit the water at "race pace," and is working very hard -- consistently hard, in our first 12 days of practice.

The work isn't just hammering some early-season quality sets, it's swimmers (and our divers, too) working hard on stroke technique, breaking old bad habits and developing the most efficient mechanics we can to carry through our training and racing. In our first three morning practices this week, the underwater camera and TIVO have sure gotten a workout, and it shows.

There have been some workout highlights, to be sure. At the end of practice late last week, we had the team do a quality 100 (at time-trial intensity, but from a push-off, and in circles). Pete Mullee clocked at 52.6 in the 100 backstroke, only seven tenths off Dave Linn's school record. Sydney Kuramoto was also very fast in the 100 back, using her amazing dolphin kick for 12+ yards every length. We're also seeing the results of the morning-practice strokework, as people are much faster in sets than in previous years...and we're only three weeks into the season.

This Saturday, we have the Augburg Pentathlon, which will be fun (and an adventure for some who will swim their first butterfly race ever!!). Then, next weekend, it's the Carleton and St. Olaf Relay Meet, followed by our traditional Welcoming Party. It's already an amazing season, and we've really just begun.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It feels like the Awards Banquet was just yesterday...literally...and we're back in school for another year. I just finished compiling the pre-season e-mail list, looking forward to our team's organizational meeting, a week from today (Wednesday, September 10, in room 155 Murray-Herrick).

The list is 68 names long, so it looks like another big, noisy, happy, fun team again this year.

If my phone calls, drop-in visits, e-mails, and notes on the door are any indication, the excitement for the coming season is really high. And the list of newcomers includes some very talented swimmers and divers, too.

We'll miss our graduated seniors, Kristin, Tim, Kevo, TJ, Mitch, and MJ, but we know they won't be far away in our hearts and memories. Besides, they're joining the greatest group of alumni swimmers and divers anywhere on the planet!! (I may be a little biased, but not overly so, if last year's 75th Anniversary Celebration is any indication).

Stay tuned for any surprises at the first meeting...there always seem to be a few.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lost in all the celebration over Jena's All-American and school-record swim, is the fact that her 58.53 is the fastest time ever swum by an MIAC Athlete in the 100 Back.
The conference keeps both Championship Records (best time achieved at the MIAC Championship), but also an All-Time MIAC Record...the fastest time swum in any competition, anywhere...and Jena broke that time in the prelims of the 100 Back.
This represents a monumental achievement...congratulations, Jena!!!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jena dropped a couple of seconds off her lifetime best time in the 200 Back, and closed out the season as an All-American, and returning UST Women's Swimming to the national scene for the first time since 1996.

Her great season is reflective of the year St. Thomas had...amazing improvments, 14 new school records, 69 new entries on our Top 15 list, and probably over 200 personal best times among all our swims.

I know Jena is very proud of her own accomplishments, but all weekend, she talked about how she was just the representative at Nationals of the Family...that everyone swam with as much dedication and as much personal success as she enjoyed

Congratulations, Jena, and congratulation to the team...the Family.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jena's prelim record will stand...until next year. Although she made a great run at the finals, the second 50 just wasn't there like it was in the prelims, and just a couple of added tenths gave Jena a 15th place in the 100 Back.

But, no time to worry, as it's time to rest and get ready for the 200 Back tomorrow. At the MIAC Championships, the 200 back prelims was Jena's 9th swim of the weekend...so it's going to be fun to see what fresher arms and legs can do. The school record is only a second and a half away...and it's a 16-year old record. Go, Jena!!!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jena swam a beautiful 100 back, breaking her old school record by over three tenths and moving up into a tie for 12th in the NCAA Women's Championships. She went a 58.53.

She swam a beautiful race, keeping her turnover up on the last 25 and hitting her walls very well. We can still improve the 3rd 25, so with a sub-:30 second 50, there's good reason to hope that we might even see a 57+ tonight.

Stay tuned...it's going to be fun.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our first experience with the Fastskin Pro will be our last, I'm afraid. Jena wasn't the only swimmer who found the neck opening up like a sea anchor as she tried to swim her 50. It's a shame, too, because Jena has been wicked fast in practice and looking really good in the water.

So, we'll chalk up the 50 to experience, and look forward to the 100 Back. After all, that's where we've spent virtually all our time in preparation.

If you want to follow results for Jena and other MIAC swimmers, click on http://www.collegeswimming.com/Division3/

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jena Root's 100 back time comfortably qualified her for the NCAA Division III Nationals in Oxford, Ohio, two weeks from now. Becca Ney just missed, in all three events, by a total of 8 one-hundredths of a second. Being so close, she is obviously an alternate...the third alternate listed. We'll have a good idea by Monday whether or not she's likely to make it...and we're hopeful, since the nationals go into the first weekend of Spring Break for many schools, and you never know if some swimmer or three across the country just may have already had plans (or a non-refundable ticket).

On the men's side, we'll have a good idea by next week at this time if TJ Hardy makes it into the 50 or the 100 Free. It may be a long shot, but we're hopeful. He's sitting on the bubble right now, with the strong NESCAC conference still to swim this weekend.

In any event, what an amazing year it was for these three athletes, and our whole team. And, with Jena having another shot at the 100 Back, the 50 Free, and the 200 Back, we may not be done breaking records!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As you all know, a week ago, we just completed the most successful MIAC Championship in a long time, breaking 14 school records, producing 14 All-conference performances and and making 68 new entries in our All-Time Top 15 List. The kids swam so well, that the MIAC coaches voted me Men's Coach of the Year and Women's Co-Coach of the Year. And, while I am wildly honored, it's the kids that did it...all of it. They worked hard and really earned the respect of the other teams and coaches in the conference. I'm so proud of them.

Then, one week later, we hosted an alumni meet and reunion, celebrathing 75 years of swimming and diving at St. Thomas. We probably had over 100 alumni at the meet and/or dinner, and had the chance to honor 94 year-old Bob Christensen, the first hired coach at St. Thomas, and the true Father of St. Thomas Swimming and Diving. We also honored Janet Grochowski, the first women's coach, who started the women's program in the two years following co-education in 1977.

The Alumni Meet featured children of alums, a generations relay where Alumni, thier children, and current swimmers all joined to make up relays. No racing was allowed, although a "grudge match" between brothers Dave Linn ('05), and Tony Linn ('10) was pretty hotly contested. It was just the joy of watching races like Hall of Famer Dave Willits ('87) swim next to the man who broke his 21-year old 100 Freestyle record, TJ Hardy ('08), or seeing Vickie Manuele Caulum ('83) and her handsome son Nate swimming on the same relay as Jim Beggs ('84) and his daughter Monica ('11).

And the Kids Relay...well...there was more "cuteness" than a warehouse full of kittens and puppies. Swimmers ranged from Lisa Tushaus Anderson's 6-week-old to Nate Caulum and Jane Schnirring's daughter Olivia, a freshman at Totino-Grace, and about 20 kids in between. I'm guessing that the whole pool felt as I did...that our hearts were about to burst with joy as these kids flopped, dove, and jumped into the water and swam a length or two in the same water their parents did.

After the meet, we shared a delicious dinner in the Murray-Herrick ballroom. It was a memorable and emotional evening, highlighted by a commemorative documentary created by senior Michael Jordan, whose new company, Epoch Videos, is off to a great start. The children ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and played with a group of about 10 of our current swimmers while the adults talked, laughed, and told stories, many of them true.

We talked about the generations of St. Thomas swimmers and divers, and our place in this wonderful history. For me, it was a day devoted to Family...the concept of family that has been the centerpiece of our program for three decades, and was present in degrees before that. We are, as corny as it sounds, links in a long and very strong chain. And Saturday's celebration was a joyful reminder to me, as I told the crowd, "I can think of no greater honor than to be related to all of you."

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What can you say about a team that breaks 14 school records, wins four events, has a couple dozen all-conference swims, has 7 national B cuts, and makes about 40 new entries on our All-Time Top 15 list? It was simply the best conference meet we've had since the early 90s.

We've tapered beautifully over the years and always swum well at the conference meet, but this year, the team improved so much over the course of the year, that we were starting way ahead of most seasons.

I'll follow up on this theme in a day or so (it's almost 1:00 AM, and we are celebrating the 75th Anniversary of swimming and diving at St. Thomas with an alumni meet and banquet tomorrow). So I'm going to get some sleep, and enjoy tomorrow right down to my bones. Then, some sleep, and we'll get Rebecca Ney, Jena Root, and TJ Hardy ready for nationals.

I'll keep you all posted.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The school record count is now up to 8, and Rebecca Ney won her second event of the conference meet in the 100 Backstroke. Jena Root was 3rd, and both broke 59 seconds in the 100 back, a B national cut, and one that has a great shot at getting both women to Nationals. Becca is the conference Champ, Jena set the school record in the prelims.

This came after the 200 Medley Relay team was DQ'd for a false start (a call I didn't agree with, but we'll respect the officials and their decisions, of course). The team had comfortably made the B national cut, and broke the School Record by 2.3 seconds.

On 3m springboard, Kristin Jarnes repeated her all-conference performance of last year, taking 3rd with a great list, and Layla Clauss took second in the 200 Free.

The men's 200 Medley Relay team of TJ Hardy, John Stark, Kevin Mullee and Tim Mullee broke the school record in the 200 Medley as well. The men's 800 Free Relay team missed breaking the school record by 4 tenths of a second, and the women broke their 800 FR record by 14 seconds, finishing 3rd in a great race.

The men's team is currently in 3rd...in a great battle with Carleton. The women's team is solidly in 5th, trying to close on St. Ben's.

Prelims tomorrow begin at 10:30, if you can make it to the Aquatic Center to support your courageous Tommie swimmers and divers.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We started the meet with some great swims in the 400 IM and 100 fly...ran into a little bad luck...two 9th places...one in the women's 100 Fly, and the men's 400 IM, but otherwise had some wonderful drops.
Then, in the 200 Free, we absolutely caught fire, and that carried over into the 100 Breast and 100 back.
Both Nick Frost and John Stark made it into the Champ finals of the breast, as did Jill Otterson. Krista Horejsi and Tom Becker also will score in the back 8.
Monica Beggs and Layla Clauss will swim in the champ finals of the 200 Free, and Becca Ney and Jena Root both broke a minute, with the school record going to Jena in the 100 Back. Jena's time of 58.86 is already a solid B cut for Nationals, and will likely get in. But I'm betting that both Jena and Becca better that time, and will be heading to Ohio in March.
In the men's 100 back, TJ Hardy set another lifetime best, and qualified 4th with a 52.79, which, like his 50 yesterday, is a national B cut.
I'm betting we swim better tonight...and we have two 200 Medley Relay teams that are going to fly, plus two very strong 800 Free Relays. In fact, we should have all four women in the 800 Free Relay under 2:00...and the old record was 8:08.6, set in 1987.
You can follow along in real time by clicking on
http://www.miac-online.org/Sports/mswim/2007/sdchampionships08.asp
Even if you're not in the stands, waving a purple "GO TOMMIES" bandana, you can cheer the team along.

So far at the championships: 6 new school records, 30 new entries in the All-Time Top 15 list, in only 11 events swum, with finals in six of those events yet to be swum.

No question about it, we're having one the greatest meets in our history, and swim for swim, we're swimming better than any other team at the MIAC Championships.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last year, we had one of the best years in our recent history, with 7 new school records and about 20 new entries in our All-Time list of the Top 15 times. Well, we just about equalled last years performance on the first day of the MIAC Championships!

Becca Ney and TJ Hardy are both conference champions in the 50 Free, both under the national B cut, and the men's 200 Free Relay was second. We had so many improvments, too, last night in the finals. Swimmers either dropped time or moved up places. It was one of those great days that coaches dream about...and the cool thing is, that we probably have better events, as a team, today and tomorrow.

We are having a spectacular meet...and while all the teams are swimming fast, I doubt that any team is swimming any better than the Tommie women and men. I'm so proud of these kids, and what they've earned.

Friday is going to be fun, and fast, and don't be surprised if we take down another six school records!!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 06:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I told the kids to dream the impossible, and then do what they knew they could do...and that the results would lie somewhere in between and probably closer to the impossible.

Well, after one Prelim session of the MIAC Championships, dreams are coming true in a big way.

Becca Ney is qualified 1st in the 50 Free and broke the school record. Jena Root went the 4th fastest 50 in school history, and is qualified 4th.
About six minutes later, TJ Hardy did exactly the same thing in the Men's 50. Kevin Mullee is also in the finals, and Tim Mullee and Nick Frost are in the back 8. All four guys in the 50 placed their best times on the All-Time list.

Jeremy Anderson is in the finals of the men's 3m with his best point total of his life, and newcomer Andy Peterson finished 12th, with a point total that puts him 12th on the All-time list.

Andrew Spratt dropped 17 seconds in the 500 and squeaked in 8th, with Mitch Johnson and Teddy Paterson in the back 8. Layla Clauss (7th) and Monica Beggs (10th) both dropped 7-8 seconds in their 500s, and Sam Zastrow (17th) took off 15 seconds, for a 5:31, her lifetime best by a bunch. Erin Weber, who is a flyer and just needed a Thursday event, dropped 12 seconds and went a spectacular 5:38 in her 500.

Elise Andersen and JoJo Nemec and Matt Moore are all in the back 8 of the 200 IM...with JoJo and Elise posting lifetime bests, and Matt almost...he'll be there tonight with some "outside smoke" from Lane 8.

But maybe best of all, we have a real shot at breaking school records in all four relays, as well as improved performances by TJ and Becca. It's going to be fun.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How do you put into words the excitement and anticipation and promise of this year's conference meet? What should we expect from a team that already has a third of its member swimming at or better than their lifetime Personal Bests? The moon? The stars?
In my 29 years here at St. Thomas, I've never felt better about a team going into a championships...everyone is so ready, looking so good, and swimming fast in practice. Nobody is looking for the exits or lining up excuses...they're all talking about records and great swims, and looking foward to competing. What a great feeling.
Come Sunday, I hope to be filling out national entries for a bunch of events, re-writing our school record book and top-15 times lists.
Results will be on the MIAC website: www.miac-online.org. Hope you enjoy following the results as much as we're going to enjoy creating them!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two weeks until the MIAC Championships, and everything feels like it's falling perfectly into place. The swimmers are swimming their best times of the season in our recent meets (we had a great meet against St. Olaf, and some terrific swims in the dual against St. Mary's and at the St. Kate's Invite). I've never seen spirits so high.

As I compare our times to the results of the Gustavus/Carleton meet, it's exciting to think that we'd be right in there with these top teams in the MIAC. Our goal this year was to make a move to the top group of the MIAC, and it feels like we're gaining momentum as we move that way. Our women's relays are among the best in the conference...in fact, the 400 Medley has the fastest time posted this year. Our men are all well ahead of where they tapered from last year...some even posting lifetimes bests pre-taper. Everyone looks really good in the water, and everyone is working hard, and working smart. No coach could ask for more.

We have 14 swimmers tapering for the Gustavus Invite on Saturday, and they look GREAT. Can't wait to see them swim.

Can't wait for February 14, too....can't wait......can't wait!

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a spectacular training trip--which included great weather, some great workouts, and a lot of really fast swims against D-II powerhouse Wayne State, we are back in the water in our home pool at St. Thomas (which we affectionately call the "Palace Clubhouse."
You'd think we'd be tired after stepping off the plane and hitting the water the very next day for J-term training, but we went up to Concordia and even after a 3+ hour bus ride, we broke 5 pool records (Read about it here: http://www.tommiesports.com/wsd/news/20080105Cobbers.html).
Probably 3/4ths of the team had their season's best time in at least one event. Our women's 400 Medley Relay posted the fastest time in the MIAC in their swim up at Concordia, going 4:10.16.
And although it's only been a week home, the whole team is really training well and swimming fast in practice, despite battling the sore throats and ear/sinus infections that are going around.
We get a good test this weekend, with a double dual against Hamline and St. Catherine's on Friday, and then up to the SJU/CSB Winter Invite, where we'll see Gustavus along with the Johnnies and Blazers.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 07:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On December 26, thirty-one of our team will rendezvous in Ft. Myers, Florida, for an intense 7-day training trip. We'll be training at the Florida Gulf Coast University's 50m and 25 yard pools. Add in some dry-land training, our usual ab workout, and some serious video analysis every day, and it's going to be a great experience. Of course, there is the spectacular brunch buffet at the Embassy Suites hotel (our "in" at the Suites, thanks to alum Joe Coursolle, a General Manager in the Hilton Hotel chain), and the incredible white sand of the gulf coast beaches.

We come back just in time for the start of January term, and that very next Saturday, the women head up to Concordia for a dual meet with the Lady Cobbers. I'm guessing we're going to be very fast.

Christmas training is a time when seasons can be turned around. I know that all our swimmers and divers, whether they're making the training trip or not, are going to be working hard, preparing for a great January. It's clear to me that this team senses just how good it can be, and will be doing whatever it takes to reach that potential.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Friday, we had one of those workouts that give coaches goosebumps (well...at least this coach got goosebumps). We had the whole team in the water, except the kids who had tapered for CSB/SJU because they were traveling abroad this spring, so the pool was packed.

We started with some nice general training sets, mixing things up a little, and the team was getting into it. Then, to end the workout, we did a set of 10 x 50. Everyone went 10-seconds apart, to keep the circle suction to a minimum. Because of the crowd, we went on the 1:30... lot of rest, but also a chance to practice being fast...one of our training mantras.

Well, it was amazing. In all my years of coaching, I've considered breaking 28 seconds in a repeat 50 a pretty good accomplishment for a woman at this level. I've seen it several times, but it's not all that common. At the end of the set, we had seven women on the team with 27.8 or faster from a push-off, with Becca Ney popping a 26.7 on her last 50. Of those who weren't under 28, several nearly equalled their best dive-start times of the season, from a push-off. And the men were just as strong.

It was a set I'll certainly remember for a long time...or at least until this group of workout monsters puts together another set that out-does this one.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Saturday was huge for the Tommie Swimming and Diving teams. We started the weekend with a very competitive meet with St. John's and St. Ben's, both were meets that we might have won with just a handful of close races going our way. We trained through this meet, with monster workouts Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and still had almost 100% season's best performances. I was very proud of the way we competed, and very excited about how fast we are this early.

Then, after singing Christmas Carols on the bus on the way home (a 29 year-old tradition), the team came to my house for an evening of dinner (including Michele's great shrimp and orzo salad), sandwiches, and tons of cookies (baked Wednesday night by the Cookie Monsters...yet another tradition). Then, more tradition. Each swimmer brought a gift for their Pep Pal, and everyone opened a gag gift. I've never heard so much laughter in my living room before. Finally, each Captain was presented with the traditional Swiss Army Knife for their keychain, and the kids presented the coaches with very nice and thoughtful gifts. I'm already assembling the pictures that will go in the digital frame they gave me.

Although this weekend signals the end of competition for fall semester, and our focus shifts a little toward exams, we're also looking forward--with considerable optimism--to the training that builds toward a great conference meet. More than ever, it looks like we will compete with the best in the conference and return swimmers and divers to the D-III National Championships in Ohio in March. What a Christmas gift that will be.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 07:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As many of you know, this is the 75th anniversary of swimming at the University of St. Thomas.

The first historical record of St. Thomas's participation in intercollegiate swimming or diving was in 1933, in what was then called the college State Meet . No Tommie swimmers scored that year, but there's evidence found in the school newspaper archives that our school was, at least, represented.

The next year, interest had grown to the point where 23 men went to the athletic director, and received permission to begin practicing at the John Ryan Baths in Minneapolis. They coached themselves, and again swam in the State College Meet. Just two years later, Bob Christensen was hired to coach a team, and within four years, they had St. Thomas's first conference championship in swimming and diving.

Save the Date!!

We're going to have an anniversary party on Saturday, February 23, starting at 2:00 PM in the O'Shaughnessy Natatorium, followed by a reception and dinner on campus. That gives plenty of time to meet with old friends for brunch before the meet, then splash in the pool (non-competitive, of course) with the current team, and then share an evening of memories with team members old and new.

We are hoping to have Bob Christensen, the first coach, at the banquet. We'll have more details to follow, of course, but it should be an evening to remember.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This falls under the category of "ain't technology amazng?" I'm writing this during at a break between sessions at the U of M Aquatic Center, which is the only building open today on the U of M campus. But while the cold snow is blowing around outisde, the competition is pretty hot inside.
Several teams, like North Dakota and South Dakota, rested and shaved for this meet, hoping to make early cuts. So our kids are running against that level of competition and our best swimmers are holding their own.
Today, as yesteday, we've had about 95% seasons-best times, and a handful of lifetime bests, too.
Sydney Kuramoto (100 Back), JoJo Nemec (400 IM), Kelly Tonnemaker (200 Free), Jena Root (200 IM), Pat Hangge (100 Free) and Tony Linn (100 Free) all set lifetime PRs.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 01:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a little more than an hour, we leave for the U of M Aquatic Center and the Falcon Invitational. We'll see some outstanding competition there, including the University of Minnesota (their non-traveling team members), perennial Division II powers U of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Mankato, plus a number of very good Division III teams. There will be great racing in every heat, and a nice challenge for our top kids.

I'm especially excited to see some of our relays compete against the best. Every coach plays with splits, adding up potential bests and comparing the total time to the national qualifying standard, and think about what it might take to win an MIAC championship. Having a chance to take those splits from my scratch paper into a great pool like the U of M is exciting indeed.

All our relays are going to be fast this weekend, especially the women's medleys and the men's freestyle relays. (of course, as I wrote that sentence, I found myself thinking, "well, our women's free and men's medleys are going to rock, too!"). No matter what, it's going to be fun.

Be sure to check our swimming and diving website on Sunday or Monday for results...and don't be shocked if you see UST popping up among the best of what D-II and D-III have to offer.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to the Swim Team's Blog (at least, the coach's blog). It's hard to know exactly where to begin...we've had such a fantastic start to the season. We have 56 swimmers and divers on the roster, more than we've ever had on either the men's or women's team.

You can feel the energy in practice. Kids are working hard, but even more important, they're working hard together. From the deck, I see kids working side by side, dragging each other to fast repeats in sets, with lots of encouragement and even more smiles. The social kicking is really social, and that's just fine.

Our team's activities have been great, too. The fall Welcoming Party had a great skit (one of the best), with the new kids lampooning the returning kids (and Pat Hangge doing a great impersonation of the old coach, right down to the shaggy grey eyebrows). That party and skit is a 29-year old tradition that is still going strong.

The team also went on a pre-season camping trip, the Seniors and Captains hosted all the new kids at a pasta feast at Buca di Beppo Italian restaurant, and the team came out to our house for our annual Bonfire Bash, complete with chili and cornbread...the bonfire got rained out, but no one went home hungry. Another tradition is our swim-a-thon, this year as a part of the Ted Mullin Hour of Power. We raised $605.00 for research at the University of Chicago.

All told, it's been a great start to what promises to be fantastic year. Stay tuned to this blog, to learn more.

Posted by Tom Hodgson at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)