Gole brings title back
Jack Nicholl
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports
After finishing second at nationals last year for the first time in seven seasons, swimming head coach Mark Gole was approached by his three captains on the women's team with a new perspective on the season.
"They kind of talked to me about how, 'Well, the season's really long, and if we always focus on nationals, sometimes we lose sight of the little things that are necessary steps to that,'" he said.
Gole welcomed the idea. Instead of just concentrating on the championship, the team made goals for itself throughout the season.
"What we did this year to change it up was we really took each meet to meet, and we tried to get everybody as excited as possible for every single meet, and using that as preparation for gaming up when nationals rolls around," Gole said.
The strategy worked: The women's swimming team regained the title, finishing with 461.5 points to Drury University's 449, and the men placed 20th. In Gole's three-year tenure at Truman, the women never have finished lower than second and the men never outside of the top 20.
Gole was named the Div. II Coach of the Year by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America in 2008. He also won the award in 2006.
As far as getting to nationals, the women's team was strong throughout the season.
At the dual meet against Div. I Missouri State on Jan. 18, Truman won every event in a 77-18 victory - this coming after the team lost to the Bearcats by nine in their first dual meet.
"I could tell right there, and we even had a comparison from swimming against Drury, that Truman would be very good and have a chance at going back and winning the championship," said Jack Steck, Missouri State head swimming and diving coach.
The Bulldogs had 12 national qualifiers by the time the Miami University (Ohio) taper meet in December ended, and they picked up two more before nationals. Every swimmer came into nationals strongly. All 14 swimmers scored points for Truman, and they claimed two national championships, one in a relay and one individually.
"They kind of talked to me about how, 'Well, the season's really long, and if we always focus on nationals, sometimes we lose sight of the little things that are necessary steps to that,'" he said.
Gole welcomed the idea. Instead of just concentrating on the championship, the team made goals for itself throughout the season.
"What we did this year to change it up was we really took each meet to meet, and we tried to get everybody as excited as possible for every single meet, and using that as preparation for gaming up when nationals rolls around," Gole said.
The strategy worked: The women's swimming team regained the title, finishing with 461.5 points to Drury University's 449, and the men placed 20th. In Gole's three-year tenure at Truman, the women never have finished lower than second and the men never outside of the top 20.
Gole was named the Div. II Coach of the Year by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America in 2008. He also won the award in 2006.
As far as getting to nationals, the women's team was strong throughout the season.
At the dual meet against Div. I Missouri State on Jan. 18, Truman won every event in a 77-18 victory - this coming after the team lost to the Bearcats by nine in their first dual meet.
"I could tell right there, and we even had a comparison from swimming against Drury, that Truman would be very good and have a chance at going back and winning the championship," said Jack Steck, Missouri State head swimming and diving coach.
The Bulldogs had 12 national qualifiers by the time the Miami University (Ohio) taper meet in December ended, and they picked up two more before nationals. Every swimmer came into nationals strongly. All 14 swimmers scored points for Truman, and they claimed two national championships, one in a relay and one individually.
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