Although spring is known as the most strenuous and competitive season for NCAA swimmers, the Texas swimming and diving programs have not overlooked the importance of creating a driven environment and generating results they are proud of during the fall months.
The men’s and women’s teams are currently No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, and they continue to press the gas pedal as spring inches nearer.
The fall swim season has been highlighted by two dual meet victories over Indiana and LSU for both the men and women. In addition to these wins, several Texas swimmers have broken school records, posted personal bests and delivered strong performances throughout the fall.
“I think our team energy is awesome right now,” sophomore men’s captain Will Modglin said. “I think every single guy is really motivated right now. We’re pushing each other in and out of the water, whether it be swimming or in the weight room, and just everywhere else.”
Modglin broke his own school record in the 100-yard backstroke in both the prelims with 41.39 seconds and the finals with 41.31 seconds at the Texas Invitational meet on Nov. 21. He said his primary goal for the fall season was to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet.
These qualifiers have been pouring their time into getting stronger both in and out of the pool since the start of the school year under the direction of first-year men’s head coach Bob Bowman and women’s head coach Carol Capitani.
For men’s swimmers, adjusting to Bowman’s coaching style has been both challenging and rewarding.
“In the beginning, it was definitely a struggle for a lot of us, just with the intensity and kind of just that group push, that extra motivation we had,” Modglin said. “We brought in a lot of other good guys, which really just upped our training group as well. So I think just a lot of those factors really played into that big jump at the beginning of the season.”
Swimmers will be permitted to take a break from this demanding in-person training schedule on Dec. 21 to spend time with their families for the holidays, but regular practices and lifts will take place six days a week up until that point. However, the swimmers don’t mind the difficult training schedule because they know it will help in their journey to the national championship.
Texas will conclude the fall season with a USA Diving Winter Nationals from Dec. 7 to Dec. 15 and a dual meet against Georgia’s No. 7 men’s program and No. 12 women’s program on Dec. 18.
“We know that if we put in the work and we stay focused throughout this whole year, (a national championship is) something that can be achieved,” Modglin said.
