Q&A with Head Coach Jay Holmes

Jan. 22, 2009

The Aggies will compete for the first time since the Art Adamson Invitational when you face LSU at noon on Saturday. Are you excited getting your spring portion of the schedule started?

Head Coach Jay Holmes: Yeah it's been a while since we've really raced anybody.  We've just been spending a lot of time working out, trying to get ready to finish off a very important part of our season.

Can you tell me a little bit about LSU - what you expect?

JH: I expect a great deal from LSU.  We've historically had a great series with them.  We've probably swum against them every year for decades.  We've always had some real good meets with them.  So, in a lot of ways, this is a meet that we, for sure, always remember from year to year.  I know LSU recognizes that there have been some great meets in our past.  Both teams are probably about the same places in terms of training and fitness.  They are getting ready for conference championships soon . We need to light it up and let our teams unleash on each other.

In addition to a victory, what else will you be looking for on Saturday?

JH: We are just trying to prepare our guys to be where they need to be for  the Big 12 Conference Championship.  Dual meets are a very important part of what we are trying to get accomplished for conference championships.  We need to race other people who mean something. The dual meets with LSU always mean something for both teams.

In the past the Aggies have taken winter training trips to remote locations like Barbados and San Diego. What did the Aggies do over the winter break this year?

JH: This year, we just stayed here.  We've taken a week off for Christmas. As soon as they got done with finals, they stayed here.  They came back after their week off and have been in College Station since then. We're trying to get better. We're trying to get our guys used to what we're getting ready to do.  We have three dual meets in a row three successive weekends then we have a little break to get ready for our conference championship after that.  This whole thing has been pointed towards this time of the year.  We spend a lot of time getting ready for it.

What were some of the benefits of training in College Station over the break?

JH: With all of our guys, we're trying to build some explosiveness and power.  That's one of the reasons why we've really liked these last couple weeks because we had our weight room right here.  We had our pool right here.  The weight room is a really important part of what we do.  We're trying to build some explosiveness and real power in our guys, and that work will pay off down the road.

Switching gears a little bit, are you counting on a particular set of swimmers or skills to motivate and drive the team this year?

JH: Our senior class is going to be important.  They've been here for four years.  They've seen what we're doing.  They've bought in to what we're trying to get done here.  Whenever you're building a team and you're racing against somebody else and you got that mentality of  "Us vs. Them"...you get a group of guys that starts buying into that concept and it becomes more than just a swim meet.  It becomes a "Someone is trying to take something from me - something I want." And that's what makes intercollegiate competition. It's just that way.

I'm just going to rattle off a few names here and if you could tell me a little bit about them...

Casey Strange...

JH: He's had some NCAA experience in his time here.  He's one of our captains.  He's the least vocal of the three -- sort of a lead-by-example kind of a guy. He's come in and done the things we've asked him to do.  He's bought into our program.  He's one of those guys we can go to and say, "Hey Casey could you do this?" and he'd be one of those guys trying to find a way to get it done.

Nikita Denisyako...

JH: He's only been here for a year but he's coming from a whole different country, but he's just like anybody.  If I suddenly wound up in Russia, I'm sure after I got used to everything, I'd be a little bit more aggressive - and Nikita has been really aggressive this year.  He was aggressive last year in the pool, somewhere that was so different. It was a completely different culture for him. He's done a great job and been a pivotal part of our team.  He's been a real good teammate for everybody to have.  We are so much better with Nikita.

Balazs Makany...

JH: Balazs is a lot the same way as Nikita.  I think anyone that you bring in from another continent is going to experience a culture change, but Balazs adapted quicker than anybody we've ever had. He just came in, adapted, and is swimming really well.  He's done some really good things for us already.  We're counting on Balazs a lot and he knows that.  He understands why he's here.  He is going to help us with our program and he's here to get his degree.  He is very motivated to do both.

Jason Bergstrom...

JH: He was our sprint-flyer last year, but he's more of a backstroker.  He's fun.  We just gave him a roster spot when he came out (two years ago).  We said there's one roster spot left and here's this kid that may be good someday. He went to NCAA's last year - the first national meet he's been to of any kind - and scored as a sophomore.  That was an amazing meet for him and he has continued to work hard.  Most of our guys are doing a really good job and working hard, but Jason's one of those guys who stays late and is committed to getting a whole lot better. Nobody recruited him.  For him to score at NCAA's, it's like, `how can some little skinny kid qualify and score at the NCAA Championships?' It's a tribute to Jason and all the hard work he's put in.

Nathan Lavery...

JH: We're looking forward to seeing Nathan race.  We've never actually seen him in a meet situation.  We're looking forward to lining him up.

You talked a lot about "our program" and people buying into the program.  What would you say is unique about it? What is "our program"?

JH: Well it all starts with Texas A&M as a university.  People need to buy into "What is an Aggie and what is it all about?" That is the first step.  This is going to mean something to them.  A lot of people are not really going to understand that and for those people, this is not the right place for them.  The things that make A&M special and unique, are parts of our program: spirit, loyalty - we're trying to build these things with our guys.  So many people don't look at swimming as a team sport.  It is a team sport, but it is so individual.  For our guys, we really spend a lot of time emphasizing that the things that they do affect everything else.  If they don't get their job done, then it affects everybody else.  If someone can't understand the true concept of "team first" ... well ... that's just very important to us.

What events would you say the Aggies are strongest, and where do you expect the points to come from in dual meets, at conference and at the national meet?

JH: Historically speaking, I'd say sprint freestyle and our relays have been strong for us.  We were 13th at the NCAA Championships last year.  That's pretty much all on relays and a couple of selected individuals.  The divers will play a huge role this year. We are counting on those guys a lot.  They have such an opportunity to do something that's never been done before, in my mind.

Talk about the return of Eric Sehn, and the addition of two talented freshmen.

JH: Eric Sehn has already won nine conference championships, and has been an incredible performer for our team.  He took last year off while training for the Olympics, and it's really a good feeling to get him back in the fold.  This year we are really looking forward to doing good things, but whatever success the Aggies have will be a team effort between the swimmers and divers.  The combination is a big part of success.  Anything we do this year is going to be because diving really did a bang-up job. They have three NCAA-level divers, plus a couple of others that are working hard to get to that level.