WETS Spring Newsletter
Dear WETS,
Happy almost Summer!!! WET’s give thanks to Texas Swimming and Diving’s past present and bright future. Thanks to you, our little organization has blossomed with support this year. We were able to cheer and support the Longhorn Women and Men to runnerup finishes at the NCAAs in Atlanta. So proud of the Swimin Wimin and super divers as they are getting better every year with their best finish at the NCAAs since 1994!! The Men’s team was also impressive finishing just behind Cal.
Save the Date: September 1st-3rd
It’s reunion time for all former swimmers, divers, coaches, parents and lovers of Texas Aquatics and especially for the 2s. If you graduated in a year ending in two – it’s your year! Recruiting co-coordinators
Darrell Fick and Ben Van Roekel will be contacting all the captains from those years to rally teammates to attend. This includes the 40th anniversary of the women’s teams winning it all for the second year in a row in 1982 and the 20th anniversary of the men’s 2002 champs! Going to be a fun weekend! It is also a grand return of the Frank Erwin awards. This years’ honorees are Jeff Commings, Mary Yarrison Hahn, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cheryl Ridall, Kristina Stinson Straface and Jon Alter. More on this very soon!
Thursday Sep 1st: First Annual Pat Patterson/Eddie Reese Golf Classic at the beautiful UT Golf Club!
Details coming soon from Golf coordinator Shaun Jordan.
Friday 3:30 pm Sep. 2nd: Alumni Swimming and Diving Classic!
Friday 5:00 pm: San Jacinto Hall Social; 6:00pm Dinner and 2022 Frank Erwin Awards
Saturday Sep. 3rd: UT VS Louisiana Monroe Football
Online Reservations and more info for all these events should be available in June!
Women’s NCAA recap
Texas Women’s Swimming and Diving finished as the national runnerup equaling the Longhorns’ best
finish since 1994. It was a great meet for the ladies as they rallied on the LAST NIGHT. Texas concluded the four-day meet with 406 points, trailing only NCAA champion Virginia (551.5), while outscoring third-place Stanford (399.5) by 6.5 points. It was a total team effort with the Horns setting five new school records in the 200 free: Kelly Pash – 1:42.38, the 100 fly: Emma Sticklen – 50.29, the 100 breast: Anna Elendt – 56.88 and the 1000 free: Erica Sullivan – 9:27.99 and 1650 free: – 15:45.94! Texas divers scored 90 points during the championship, topping Indiana’s diving total of 84 points to finish as the number one diving team in the meet. Forty two points came on the last night on platform as Junior Jordan Skilken won bronze with 315.45 points and junior Janie Boyle placed fourth with 290.90 points, while senior Paola Pineda scored 267.05 points to finish eighth.
NCAA Men’s recap
After four days of competition, Texas just missed another title in a tightly contested race with Cal, but did earn an NCAA runnerup finish. Our Horns competed, had so many great performances, and it absolutely was Texas Fight until the very end! Drew Kibler was the highlight of the meet for the Longhorns, winning the 200-yard freestyle championship and also swimming the opening leg for the national title-winning 800-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relays. And how about that 800-free relay?! Kibler, Coby Carrozza, Luke Hobson and Carson Foster set a new American record – 6:03.89! Foster also brought home a silver in the 200-yard backstroke and bronze in the 400-yard IM, while Caspar Corbeau won silver in the 100-yard breaststroke, and Hobson took bronze in the 500-yard freestyle. We did bring home the second-place trophy to add to an amazing legacy for our legendary coach and one of the premiere programs — in any sport — in NCAA history.
Think about it, this class of seniors never finished worse than second at NCAAs, and we’ve finished first or
second in eight-straight NCAA Championships. Take it even further, and in 44 years under Eddie, our Horns have won 15 NCAA Championships, finished second 13 times and were among the nation’s top-three on 35 occasions. They’ve also won 43-straight conference titles. They continue to be simply the best and we’re so proud of them.
2022 Men’s Team Awards (provided by WETS)
Most valuable swimmer- Drew Kibler Most valuable diver-Noah Dupree
Most improved swimmer-Luke Hobson Most improved diver- Andrew Harness
Spirit Award-Peter Larson Leadership Award-Drew Kibler
Three Longhorn Swimmers and both coaches on Team USA for the World Championships Team. USA will take to the pool June 18-July 3 in Budapest for the FINA World Championships. Carson Foster, Drew Kibler and Coby Carrozza all secured their first world championship bids after outstanding performances at the Trials. Carson led the way, winning the 400-meter individual medley and earning a spot in the 200m IM field with a second-place finish. He also was third in the 200m freestyle and advances as a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay. Drew, the two-time reigning Big 12 Swimmer of the Year, punched his ticket to the World Championships with a second-place finish in the 200m freestyle and as a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay. Coby joins Carson as a selection on Team USA’s 4x200m freestyle relay. Post Grads training in Austin with the team include Leah Smith (400 Free, 800 Free and 4X200 Free Relay) and Shaine Casas (200 Back). There were also several other outstanding efforts from all of our Men’s and Women’s Swimmers competing at the meet as well, and though they didn’t earn bids, they continued to gain valuable experience and build on their resumes. Eddie and Carol will also represent us on the international stage serving as assistant coaches for Team USA at the World Championships. Assistant Women’s Coach Mitch Dalton is taking Kelly Pash, Olivia Bray, Emma Sticklen and Anna Elendt to the Mare Nostrum Competition in Europe later this month and looking forward to some fun racing opportunities!
Diving News by Matt Scoggin:
Paola Pineda has decided to take her 5th year at Texas for the 2022-23 season. Paola is an incredible leader on this team, both in the classroom and on the diving boards. Over the last two seasons, Pineda has earned five all-American honors and one honorable mention all-American accolade on the three diving disciplines. The 2021 Big 12 Women’s Diver of the Year, she also earned Diver of the Meet honors at the 2021 Big 12 Championship after winning on both the 1-meter and platform. In addition to Pineda’s return, Janie Boyle has confirmed she will back for her senior season after exploring opportunities via the transfer portal. Boyle placed fourth on the platform at last month’s NCAA Championships after taking 13th at the 2021 national meet. Janie is also a tremendous leader for our team, both in her Biochemistry/Honors program and on the boards. Texas Diving has a trio of freshmen joining a strong returning core next season. Sarah Carruthers, a native of Toronto, Canada, signed her National Letter of Intent and will be part of a freshman class that includes signees Conor Gesing and Nick Harris. Carruthers recently placed fifth on platform at the Canada Senior Nationals and took eighth-place on the 3-meter. Conor, a native of Phoenixville, Penn., won the 2022 Pennsylvania Boys 3A State Champion on the 1-meter, was a three-time finalist at the 2021 USA Diving Zone A Championships and a 2021 Junior National finalist on the 3-meter. Harris, who hails from Chester Springs, Pa., is a Senior National finalist and multi-time Junior National finalist on the 1-meter. He was the 2019 1-meter springboard Junior National Champion and took silver on the 1-meter at the 2017 Junior Pan American Championships.
Also returning for the women’s squad are reigning Big 12 Diver of the Year and two-time all-American Hailey Hernandez, 2022 NCAA bronze-medalist on the platform Jordan Skilken, two-time NCAA qualifier Bridget O’Neil and former U.S. junior world team member Chloe Bishop. On the men’s side, Andrew Gawin-Parigani has committed to a fifth season with the Longhorns. Two-time honorable mention all-American and 2022 Big 12 Diver of the Year Andrew Harness will also be returning, as will all-American Noah Duperre and NCAA qualifiers Brendan McCourt and Manuel Borowski. Janie Boyle, Manny Borowski, and Noah Duperre all compete for Team USA at the June 9-12 Canada Cup in Calgary and the World University Games in Chengdu China in late June/ early July. Hailey Hernandez represents Team USA at the Budapest World championships in two events in late June and early July.
Last Chance to pay Dews for this season
Check the list of the many loyal WETS members listed in this letter for helping Texas Swimming stay afloat. If your name is on the list save your $$$ until this June when 2022-2023 Dews will be due and when reservations can be made for the Fall reunion events! If you don’t see your name on the list please due….
Pay your Dews!
Do not send more than $150.00 as big donations are still needed to help UT Swimming & Diving by donating to the Longhorn Foundation. Don’t forget to check Swimming and Diving when donating!!!
Your little splash of cash helps us promote UT Swimming and Diving, gives honor to our great past and helps the future of Burnt Orange Aquatics! Here are our Top suggested ways to financially support Texas Swimming: #1….WETS limit your contributions to WETS to no more than $150.00 so you can give where it truly counts.
Support Texas Swimming and Diving through the Longhorn Foundation!
- Select Gift Designation: Athletics, Intercollegiate for Men and Women
- Further designate to: Outdoor Pool or Texas Men’s Swimming and Diving Legacy Fund
If you would like to donate to our scholarship support or our current top funding priority, the Outdoor Pool Facility… please contact Billy Humphries , 512- 471-2433 DONATE All your gifts are 100% tax-deductible and every cent goes to support a current student-athlete making the same ripples you once made on the 40 Acres. We challenge you – UT Men’s & Women’s Swimming/Diving alumni – to have the highest participation percentage of all Longhorn sports. Any amount is helpful, and participation is crucial. We’re off to a great start!
We appreciate your consideration in supporting Texas Swimming & Diving!
Help spread the word by passing this letter along to any friends of Texas Swimming and Diving! If any of you have pictures, news, or address changes, please send them for our next letter in June. There you have it! Another long letter because of all the great things to say about Texas Swimming and Diving. Hope to see you all (especially 2’s) on the golf course, at the pool or at any of the great functions this fall.
Swimcerely,
Bill Robertson ‘81