Women's swimming springs for six titles
Joe Barker
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: Sports
Some things never change.
The leaves have fallen, the temperature has dropped and the women's swim team is again defending its National Championship.
Just like the year before, and the year before that, and every year since 2001, the women are again looking to add more hardware to the Pershing trophy case.
"They definitely have the talent to do it again," head coach Mark Gole said.
For the women to repeat their success, they will have to overcome some obstacles. Several key contributors to last season's squad, like the graduated trio of Diana Betsworth, Micaela Osborn and Sarah Dance, have left the program. Replacing the three national champions puts the team under more stress.
"I think there is a lot more pressure than in the past years," senior Whitney Jensen said. "We've lost a lot of good seniors, but I think we can definitely pull it out."
Change on the roster isn't the only change for the Bulldogs' swimming program. Last year's head coach and three- time CSCAA National Coach of the Year, Colleen Murphy, and her husband, assistant coach Joe Fanthorp, left the program last spring.
Gole, the former assistant coach at Wayne State University (Mich.) takes the helm along with new assistant coach Karyn Schachinger.
"I like Mark and Karyn a lot," sophomore Jon Strom said. "They seem like they really know what they are talking about and seem to get along pretty well with us as a team. I don't think we will miss a beat from Colleen and Joe. Seeing where we are at already, I think we are still on the same track."
After taking over a men's team that took 10th at nationals, including a five-time national champion, it would seem that Gole and Schachinger wouldn't change anything. Yet they have already changed how the 'Dogs are practicing by including more running and more stroke work than the past regime.
"I think that there have been a lot of differences so far," Gole said. "Where I came from, my background at least, the training has been more challenging than these swimmers are used to. And they're adjusting to it slightly."
The leaves have fallen, the temperature has dropped and the women's swim team is again defending its National Championship.
Just like the year before, and the year before that, and every year since 2001, the women are again looking to add more hardware to the Pershing trophy case.
"They definitely have the talent to do it again," head coach Mark Gole said.
For the women to repeat their success, they will have to overcome some obstacles. Several key contributors to last season's squad, like the graduated trio of Diana Betsworth, Micaela Osborn and Sarah Dance, have left the program. Replacing the three national champions puts the team under more stress.
"I think there is a lot more pressure than in the past years," senior Whitney Jensen said. "We've lost a lot of good seniors, but I think we can definitely pull it out."
Change on the roster isn't the only change for the Bulldogs' swimming program. Last year's head coach and three- time CSCAA National Coach of the Year, Colleen Murphy, and her husband, assistant coach Joe Fanthorp, left the program last spring.
Gole, the former assistant coach at Wayne State University (Mich.) takes the helm along with new assistant coach Karyn Schachinger.
"I like Mark and Karyn a lot," sophomore Jon Strom said. "They seem like they really know what they are talking about and seem to get along pretty well with us as a team. I don't think we will miss a beat from Colleen and Joe. Seeing where we are at already, I think we are still on the same track."
After taking over a men's team that took 10th at nationals, including a five-time national champion, it would seem that Gole and Schachinger wouldn't change anything. Yet they have already changed how the 'Dogs are practicing by including more running and more stroke work than the past regime.
"I think that there have been a lot of differences so far," Gole said. "Where I came from, my background at least, the training has been more challenging than these swimmers are used to. And they're adjusting to it slightly."