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5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby Water Pony » Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:49 pm

Our Men Qualifiers will leave for NCAA’s next Monday. It has been a strong year of development for the team with some Records and Personal Bests. Congratulations to our NCAA Team members. The events they will competing in are:

Colin Feehery – 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 Breast

Cotton Fields – 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 Back

Caleb Rhodenbaugh
– 100 Breast and 200 Breast

Parker Hardigree – 1-meter

Peter Smithson – 3-meter and Platform
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby EastStang » Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:51 am

No relays?
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby Water Pony » Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:14 pm

EastStang wrote:No relays?


Regrettably no. Qualifying relays is a major objective for the team. There is progress, but freestyle and medley relays are important to be considered as a team.
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby Water Pony » Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:03 am

Final Day Results at NCAA Swimming & Championships for Mustangs. Some outstanding personal best and school records. Although the times were very impressive, it does reflect the depth of overall talent in other college programs. The good news it we qualified 5 men for the NCAAs championship and are building a foundation for the Men's Team to begin to climb the rankings in the future. As mentioned previously, qualifying relay teams will be a major signal we are being to become more competitive.

Congratulations to each of them, who qualified and competed in this year's championships.

ATLANTA (SMU) – Caleb Rhodenbaugh and Colin Feehery went one, two in the SMU record book in their 200 breaststroke races. Freshman Cotton Fields competed in his third event of the NCAA Championships in the 200 backstroke, setting a personal best of his own and landing third all-time at SMU.

Fields swam in the first race of the day, heat one of the 200 backstroke prelims. The freshman finished his NCAA Championships by winning his heat with a career best of 1:42.62. This broke his own record for third all-time in school history.

Feehery and Rhodenbaugh competed next in the 200 breaststroke prelims. Feehery raced first in heat 2, cruising to a career best time of 1:54.15. This time sent the junior into second all-time at SMU behind his teammate, Rhodenbaugh. Rhodenbaugh took the pool next. The senior crushed his previous school record with a blazing time of 1:52.73. He finished 17th/54, just missing the Consolation Final (16th place) by 16 hundredths of a second. He was awarded first alternate for the final based on his time.

Peter Smithson closed the NCAA Championships for the Mustangs on platform diving. After competing on 3-meter yesterday, the junior finished platform with a score of 289.65.

NCAA Championships Recap
After three days of competition, five Mustangs competed in a total of eight events. SMU set two school records, four personal records, and named one Honorable Mention All-American, Parker Hardigree on 1-meter diving. Hardigree's 1-meter 13th place finish was the highest for the Mustang divers, while Caleb Rhodenbaugh's 17th place 200 breaststroke was the highest finish for the swimmers.

Final Times & Scores
200 backstroke:
Cotton Fields – 1:42.62 – 36th/42

200 breaststroke:
Colin Feehery – 1:54.15 – 29th/54
Caleb Rhodenbaugh – 1:52.73 – 17th/54

Platform diving:
Peter Smithson – 289.65 – 31st/45
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby SoCal_Pony » Thu Mar 31, 2022 1:03 pm

Water Pony is a good man and being kind.

For a different perspective, there were 42 schools that competed in the Men’s S&D Championships.

CAL won and UT was runner-up, combined they amassed 871 total points. 9 schools scored 0 points, SMU being one of them. Cincinnati, the AAC champions, scored 1 point. So we still have a very long ways to go, but at least the Men are trending upwards.

My frustration with this is SMU ‘possibly’ has the best Swimming & Diving and Tennis facilities of any school in the world. We are the only university in America with both indoor & outdoor Olympic pools and i read once (not from SMU media) that our Tennis facilities are truly world class.

I realize these sports don’t have the appeal of FB or BB, but we have invested so much in them and it’s always nice to be good at something on the national stage.
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby smusportspage » Thu Mar 31, 2022 5:51 pm

SoCal_Pony wrote:Water Pony is a good man and being kind.

For a different perspective, there were 42 schools that competed in the Men’s S&D Championships.

CAL won and UT was runner-up, combined they amassed 871 total points. 9 schools scored 0 points, SMU being one of them. Cincinnati, the AAC champions, scored 1 point. So we still have a very long ways to go, but at least the Men are trending upwards.

My frustration with this is SMU ‘possibly’ has the best Swimming & Diving and Tennis facilities of any school in the world. We are the only university in America with both indoor & outdoor Olympic pools and i read once (not from SMU media) that our Tennis facilities are truly world class.

I realize these sports don’t have the appeal of FB or BB, but we have invested so much in them and it’s always nice to be good at something on the national stage.



Build it and they will come maybe??? Hopefully!
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby Water Pony » Mon Apr 04, 2022 10:45 am

I don't disagree with SoCal_Pony,

Zero points are zero points. The positive point is we had swimmers and divers, who qualified to go. One small step for SMU.

As I mentioned previously, we lack depth, which reveals itself in no relays doing to the NCAAs, and no individual qualifiers, who can make it into the Championship Finals or Consolations races.

Our path to relevancy will be a long one and it starts with recruiting. Our brand-new facilities, including breaking ground for an outdoor, long course (Olympic-sized) pool this week, will help. And Coach Rhodenbaugh maximizing the performances of our walk-ons through tough workouts. However, Scholarships are limited. We will be a great destination for many, as they will get better at SMU.
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby EastStang » Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:34 am

Many are still longing for the days of Top 10 finishes, Olympic medalists, and dominant in conference competition. Here's hoping that those days come back with new facilities and a faster pool. Its now in the hands of the coaches to recruit the athletes we need to compete. Recruiting is 75% of college sports as Stallion used to say, coaching is the rest. We no longer have any excuses.
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby PonyPride » Tue Apr 05, 2022 11:15 am

SoCal_Pony wrote:Water Pony is a good man and being kind.

For a different perspective, there were 42 schools that competed in the Men’s S&D Championships.

CAL won and UT was runner-up, combined they amassed 871 total points. 9 schools scored 0 points, SMU being one of them. Cincinnati, the AAC champions, scored 1 point. So we still have a very long ways to go, but at least the Men are trending upwards.

My frustration with this is SMU ‘possibly’ has the best Swimming & Diving and Tennis facilities of any school in the world. We are the only university in America with both indoor & outdoor Olympic pools and i read once (not from SMU media) that our Tennis facilities are truly world class.

I realize these sports don’t have the appeal of FB or BB, but we have invested so much in them and it’s always nice to be good at something on the national stage.

Upon further review:

Cal and UT scored 924

SMU scored 4 points

SMU won the conference (Cincinnati did not qualify, therefore did not score any points)

SMU does not currently have an outdoor pool, but will be breaking ground on an outdoor pool Thursday to make SMU the only school with an indoor/outdoor 8-lane 50 meter in the same complex
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby ponyswim » Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:45 pm

SMU Men need to take some big steps forward next year to because relevant nationally. They have the ability to do that, but need some help from at least one freshmen sprinter (already signed) and potential transfers. Hopefully we will see some good things from people this summer that will build for next year.
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby Water Pony » Thu Apr 07, 2022 3:10 pm

ponyswim wrote:SMU Men need to take some big steps forward next year to because relevant nationally. They have the ability to do that, but need some help from at least one freshmen sprinter (already signed) and potential transfers. Hopefully we will see some good things from people this summer that will build for next year.


ponyswim,

Thanks for raising point making progress during the summer. It is not broadly understood or appreciated, that swimmers trained 11+ months a year. And, during the summer, whether they stay in Dallas to train in our facilities or swim with their hometown teams, the summer months are important for continuous training, new competition, and heavy training loads in long course pools twice a day.

:shock:
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby Charleston Pony » Thu Apr 07, 2022 3:29 pm

Limited 'ships and the high cost of SMU tuition is also a challenge in recruiting, even in the "country club" sports. SMU let it's reputation and facilities get away from it years ago so as the former swimmers are saying, it's going to be a long road back. Will be a huge challenge to ever get back to the level of the program attained during the Barr/McMillion years
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby Water Pony » Fri Apr 08, 2022 9:59 am

Charleston Pony wrote:Limited 'ships and the high cost of SMU tuition is also a challenge in recruiting, even in the "country club" sports. SMU let it's reputation and facilities get away from it years ago so as the former swimmers are saying, it's going to be a long road back. Will be a huge challenge to ever get back to the level of the program attained during the Barr/McMillion years


Charleston Pony, Regrettably you are correct. I swam for "Red" Barr and Coach Mac, who was my Frosh Coach. During my three varsity year, '66 to '68, we were 5th, 7th, and 5th in the NCAA Championships, while never losing a Dual Meet and winning the SWC every year. In the 70's, 80's and into the 90's, we had Olympians and National Champion swimmers.

Given the issues you raised, we may never be a Top 5 program again, but Top 20 should be an expectation. And, we shouldn't forget the wonderful history of our Women, who may have a longer path back.
Last edited by Water Pony on Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby PonyTales » Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:35 am

Good stuff.

Top 20 is reasonable. Natatorium closes the gap on recruiting top swimmers/divers, although a you say, tuition can make roster depth a huge challenge.

Swimming isn't a sport battling for TV eyeballs, so the difference between us and the big state schools may never be eliminated, but it should be reduced.
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Re: 5 to compete @ NCAA's Men Championship Next Week

Postby ponyswim » Sat May 07, 2022 9:20 am

Men's Swimming is mostly a partial scholarship sport. You have 9.9 total scholarships, and you need roughly 15 good swimmers and 4 good divers to be really good. With SMU's very high tuition you need a lot of academic aid to be able to compete with state schools like Indiana, , NC schools, Virginia schools, Florida schools, etc. SMU is lacking in that area, though they are improving I think. Hopefully we are able to get some impact transfers this year to get the men into the top 20 next year. The more we linger in mediocrity, the harder it is to get out of that space. Elite swimmers want to train and swim with other elite swimmers - we need to "develop/train" our own before others will come. We have some people that have the physical talent, but not yet the mental/emotional qualities to be elite. Hopefully that changes in the next 12 months.
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