The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 13, 1978, Page Page 18, Image 18
W omen's S"
By BRETT FRIEDLANDER
Gamecock Staff Writer
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... ...U. gwiibV) uicjr 1UMV 1UVC ttliy ,
other group of coeds on the USC.
campus. Once they get into a
swimming pool, however, it is
obvious they are something
special.
The USC women's swimming
team has breezed through the first
nine dual meets of the season
without a loss. In the process they
have disposed of some of the
nation's top teams and have
completely rewritten the school
record book. Only the University'
of Georgia stands between them
and a perfect 10-0 record.
Most importantly, each member
of the team has qualified for
nationals at least once. According
to first year coach Scott Woodburn,
"that is where it counts."
BUT WAS this success expected?
"No," says sophomore
backstroker Mary Ellen Breen. "I
didn't think we'd do this well.
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schedule." How did a team that
finished with a 4-5 record last
season rebuild so quickly?
There are three reasons for this
unexpected success.
The first reason is the new coach.
Scott Woodburn came to Carolina
from St. Lawrence University
where his teams were 48-13, and
won the division III championship.
He produced four national
champions and 12 All-Americans
during his five years at the New.
York school.
"Coach Woodburn has done a
great job with us," said freshman
butterflyer Kathie Walton. "He's
worked us hard; I've never worked
like this until I cam here. The work
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has made us better than we've ever;
been."
BEFORE the season started,.
Woodbum put his swimmers on an
intensive weight and conditioning
program. According to Assistant
Coach Sandv Baxter. "Th#? wpiohfo
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and exercises were designed tohave
the girls work out their
maximum power with the least
loss of flexibility."
Woodburn's practices consist of'
two sessions, each including about
18,000 yards of swimming. The'
morning practice is spent working
on endurance while the evening
session is geared to the individual
needs of the swimmers.
" >. x- ;.'vi
Mary Ellen Breen
*1.~ : i i .
uic swimmers 10 neip tnem improve
their technique by seeing
what they're doing wrong. According
to diver Jim Carvin, "He
shows them what they're doing,
and then he shows them how it is
supposed to be done. This enables
the girls to be more efficient."
ANOTHER REASON for the
team's success can be traced to
before Woodburn's arrival. "It's
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the recruiting job that (last year's
coach Alan) Gentry did," freshman
freestyler Mary-de Mackie
said. "He got Patti Considine; she
was a high school Ail-American.
Nancy Nitardy transferred from
Indiana, Kathy Walton was a
Middle Atlantic champion; I was
ranked in the world."
The final, most important
reason for the team's success is the
determination and pride of these
women.
Of flip nine cunmmorw ">?<1 J:-??
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on the team, only diver Anne.
Whitaker is not a freshman or
sophomore. Inexperience has not
b ?n a problem though.: they have
broken all school records and have
upset UNCandN.C. State, two of
the nation's top 10 teams.
THE SWIMMERS' determination
is best described by their
performance in the UNC meet,
which the Gamecocks won 72-59.
As Mary Ellen Breen described it,
"we lost the first relay, and
everyone was down because we did
our best time ever Th^n tho
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came over and told us not to worry
about losing the event, just do
better the rest of the meet; and we
ended up winning."
Diver Carvin has noticed the
intense pride of the girls. "There's
something about this year that just
didn't happen last year. It doesn't
have anything to do with team
unity." The element has brought
this team together is hard work
and confidence. Printed on the
back of their warm-up jerseys are
the words "Giant Killers," and
that is exactlv what thm/Wro
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out to be.
According to Coach Woodburn,
"these people that we're swimming
against have got an
established tradition of winning,
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and the swimming program at
Carolina just does not have that.
That's what we're trying to build
now."
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Ellig also contribute to the
program. Like the swimmers,
they have been working out with
weights and diving twice daily. In
addition, they work for hours on a
trampoline trying to improve their
moves and the more difficult dives.
"The trampoline works on
mechanics," diving coach Gary
Wetherhold said. "It lets them
dive over and over again without
having to get out of the water to
wait to do it again, and there's no
fear of getting hurt."
Whitaker is a good example of
the team's determination. She was
discovered by Wetherhold in a USC
diving class, and has only been
diving competitively for a year.
Her hard work is paying off.
"She's learned an awful lot and
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I'm proud of her because she came
from almost nothing to become a
good diver," Wetherhold said.
"She's got a lot of guts, she'll do
anything I ask."
ANN ELLIG was recruits
come to Carolina and has been
diving for years. In the UNC meet
she won the competition on both
boards, and was "Gamecock of the
Meet."
"Ann is a year away from being
excellent," Wetherhold said.
"Diving is so frustrating because it
is a perfection sport. She has
improved so much, but she doesn't
think she's improving, it's onp nf
those things."
"Our women's program is in
great shape," Coach Woodburn
said. The swimmers said they feel
a fitting tribute to their accomplishments
this season would
be an overflow crowd at the
Georgia meet Saturday at 1 p.m.
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