Q&A With The Coaches

Feb. 5, 2009

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A Sit Down with Head Coach Jay Holmes and Assistant Coach Doug Boyd 

How do the guys feel about the upcoming meet on Friday against Texas? What is the general attitude among them?

JH: Texas is the number one team in the country. They don't really have any holes. We expect great from them. Every meet is new and different. Our attitude is that we just have to get to the wall first.

DB: Their confidence level is high. Our philosophy is work hard, rest hard. They are prepared for what comes at them no matter whom they swim against. Our number one goal is to swim fast in March. Our number two goal is to swim fast at conference.

The meet against SMU last Friday was a close one. What did the team take away from the experience that they can move forward with?

JH: I think that that what the team took away the most from last Friday was resolve. Those guys had some of their best swims of the year. Makany and Snowden were fantastic. The relays were intense and improved as we always expect to see. The team can always expect to leave each meet with solid experience under their belts and I was very proud.

DB: The meet against SMU was our best dual meet in the past four years. We set a school record and that's exactly where we want to see our hard work paying off. Those are the best results. Balazs Makany broke the record in the 200-yard freestyle and we did excellent in our 400-meter medley relay. We don't pay attention to how fast or slow we swim in the fall. We know we will swim fast in the spring and it's time to focus on that.

Let's talk about what you expect from Texas.

DB: We have a large advantage in diving this year at the national level. Texas is very good in diving too. We aren't going to go in there with any false pretenses that we are going to dominate the entire meet. We focus on results.

What results would you be satisfied with?

DB: Texas is a potential national championship program. We hope for seasonal bests and we are going to put up a solid fight. We know we can be a top 10 program, and due to the way we train in the fall and the spring, we are showing that now.

How does swimming away from home affect the team?

JH: A lot of races are done away from home. It's good experience for the guys to swim in different environments. That's how it's done at higher levels. More than half of our competitions are done away from our pool, but our guys are trained to focus no matter what the situation - whether we are in our house or in our rivals'.

The advantage the team has in diving will be pivotal. What can we expect to see there?

JH: From a diving standpoint...it's going to be a great showcase of talent. We will be watching six guys at the NCAA level competing for those top three spots. It won't be as easy for Eric, Grant and Cam to sweep the one-two-three this time, but they have been working hard. I know I will make a point to be over there when those guys start up.

DB: The diving portion of the meet is what Coach Holmes and I are looking forward to the most. Texas has three very good divers. We, of course, have Eric Sehn, Grant Nel, and Cam McLean, who went one-two-three in the 1-meter and 3-meter against SMU. It should be a great match-up. We can't overlook what Sehn is capable of. He has the potential to be an NCAA champion every time he steps onto a platform.

What is most important to the team right now, going into this dual meet against Texas?

JH: We are heading full speed into conference championships, which is a seven-session event. We just want to make sure we are prepared for that. To do so, Coach Boyd and I are always challenging the team to adapt to something harder and to train at a faster level. The Art Adamson three-day invitational prepares us to an extent, but we train throughout. This time, right now is what is important to us. The swimmers and divers must bring that intensity level to each event and draw what they have learned in their training.

DB: Teams that prepare to swim fast in the fall have the pressure to maintain that momentum. We prefer to train through and prepare to reap the benefits from the early work in March. We have started to develop that tradition here that we WILL do that every year.