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Men's Swimming & Diving
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Swim Teams Gear Up for New Season
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
January 15, 1999
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, an 18th century author, once wrote, "nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm...it moves stones, it charms brutes. It is the genius of sincerity, and truth accomplishes no victories without it."
The University of Utah swimming and diving teams are seeking just that, an enthusiasm to power them to new heights in their final season of WAC competition. Last season, Dennis Tesch, the four-year men's coach, took the reigns of both the men's and women's program under the title of Utah Swim Director. In his inaugural season heading both programs, the Ute women quadrupled their wins from the previous season with a 4-7 overall record, as well as a 3-5 mark in WAC dual meets. The women also pulled out a ninth place WAC Championship finish, climbing up three notches from the previous year. The men's team logged a 6-5-1 mark (4-2-1 WAC) in 1998 and a fourth-place finish at the WAC Championships. Tesch also sent four athletes to the NCAA Championships last year. Molly Lauber, the Utes' premier breaststroker, was the first woman swimmer in Utah's history to compete in the NCAA's. She placed 31st in the 100-meter breaststroke. The men sent three competitors to the NCAA Championships. It marked the first time since 1994 that Utah was represented at the NCAA's. Mike Greene finished 20th in the 100 fly. Dustin Jones was 29th in the 3-meter dive and 33rd in the 1-meter dives. Nick Smith finished 31st in the 1-meter and 33rd in the 3-meter.
Encouraged with the strides made last year, Tesch sees a new tone for the team this season. "The attitudes of the women are up. They are prepared for another successful year and are excited about the coaching and training situation," he says. The plan for the 1999 season is to continue with the training regimen incorporated in 1998, where the men and women train and condition together. Tesch thinks that co-ed development benefits both teams due to the rigorous competition in the lanes. "Having a co-ed training program has really helped the women because they have to swim against faster swimmers. The tougher the competition in the practice lanes, the harder they are pushed into stepping to the next level," he explains. Another big element behind last year's success hinged on an emphasis on team unity. Swim training is extremely rigorous and athletes easily burnout. By building a strong team support base, the athletes hope to help each other keep up momentum throughout the season. "We're just focusing on being more of a team," Tesch says. "Last year the teams were struggling to break out of their cliques. This season, our goal is to create a better understanding between the teams and make the program one solid unit." One advantage to building team spirit is that both teams are relatively young. While the men's team is accentuated by 13 upperclassmen, the core for both programs is primarily freshmen. Tesch is enthusiastic about the mix. He believes the upperclassmen will add stability to the program and lay the cornerstones of the new joint program with the freshman class. Particularly important with the women's program, Tesch is optimistic that a youthful squad will lay the foundation for future success in the lanes. The men's team is extremely well rounded, as it has strong competitors in both the sprint, distance and diving events. Along with their goal for a unified effort, the men are looking to break into the top three at their last WAC Championship. Next year, Utah will compete in the new Mountain West Conference. "The men are looking to improve a lot more. This season we basically have the same team back and our experience will steady the program," Tesch says. "Our goal is to place higher in the WAC Championships and qualify individuals for the NCAA's." Mike Greene, in particular, has NCAA hopes in the back and butterfly. Along with his NCAA competition a year ago, Greene was runner-up in the 100 fly (48:01) and 100 back (49.17) at the WAC Championships. He swam lifetime best times in both events last season, breaking the Utah 100 fly record with a time of 47.57. "Mike exceeded his own expectations and I think we will continue to see awesome stuff from him," Tesch says. Matt Chamberlain, another of Utah's key scorers last season, is also back. Chamberlain won nine dual meet events and turned in nine second place finishes for the Utes. At the WAC Championships, he placed fourth in the 100 fly, seventh in the 200 IM and eighth in the 200 fly. "Matt is looking to make the step up to the NCAA's this year. He's a hard worker and I couldn't ask for more from an athlete-he's ready," Tesch says. Freshman newcomer, Travis Harmor of Gaithersburg, Md., is predicted to score immediately in the mid-distance and distance freestyle events. He holds high school records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle and the 200 IM. He was a high school all-American in the 200 free in 1998 and was the Washington Metropolitan Area 200 free champion in from 1997-98 The women's goals flow along the same lines as the men's team, with the biggest emphasis on building a strong unified team. Bolstered by a challenging schedule, the women are aiming to make gradual steps heading into the WAC Championships. There, the Utes are seeking to improve their WAC finish into the top seven. They will emphasize improving their relays with the NCAA's in mind. "Our goal is to send the women's relay teams to the NCAA's," says Tesch. "With the addition of strong transfer students, we've added a lot of strength to the relays. We have finally brought in a solid core group and the medley relay will be hard to beat," Tesch predicts. Molly Lauber returns for her senior season planning to improve her NCAA placement. Lauber set the Utah 100 and 200 breast records and 200 and 400 medley relay records at the Speedo Cup. She was named the team's Most Valuable Swimmer. "I am excited to see Molly come back experienced and prepared to reach her NCAA goals because this season her emphasis can change from qualifying (to the NCAA's) to focusing on improvement," Tesch says. Heidi Duckworth, the former Heidi Hauskenecht, transferred to the U. from Hawai'i, where she swam as a freshman in 1997. At the WAC Championships, she finished third in the 100 fly, eighth in the 100 back and ninth in the 100 free. She was an NCAA qualifier in all three events. "Heidi brings a lot of diversity in our sprints. She will be a key in the success to our relays," Tesch says. Ute freshmen expected to make an impact are Melissa Chamberlin and Lisbeth Jensen. Chamberlin was a finalist in the 100 breast at the 1997 and 98 Pennsylvania district meet. Jensen was the Norwegian national champion in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle in 1997 and 98. Both are predicted to reinforce the Utes in the sprint events. As the Utes enter their second season under the unified banner, the goals of both teams are to push each individual to his or her full potential and claim a spot on the WAC podium.
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