By Jim Richardson
Two teams that are having excellent meets this year are Louisville and Florida Gulf Coast.
Neil Studd has coached FGCU since 2006 and this is most likely the fastest NCAA team in his tenure. The 200 medley relay qualified for FGCU’s first A relay final in sixth place with a school record time of 1:37.05. They were one of only six teams in the event to better their seed time.
While Neil has had individual swimmers who have finaled and consoled at NCAA’s, putting a relay in the finals ahead of national powers such as Stanford, Auburn, and USC speaks to the continued development of his program. Their goal is to finish in the top 25 and with three swims tonight and some good opportunities tomorrow, FGCU could surpass that goal and break into the top 20.
Arthur Albiero is in his 11th season as the head coach at the University of Louisville. Arthur is proof that you can become a great coach even if you didn’t swim and assistant coach at the Division 1 level. His teams have improved almost every year and his women’s team is poised to make a run at a top five finish at this year’s NCAA’s.
With the top seed in the 200 Medley Relay and Kelsi Worrell’s new NCAA, US Open, and American Record in the 100 butterfly (:49.89, first woman in history under :50), tonight’s finals could be more fuel on the fire for the best NCAA’s in Louisville women’s swimming history.
