2008 Woodie Awards
Swim program to resurface
By: Grant Bissell
Issue date: 3/30/06 Section: Sports
Gorlok swimmers have something to cheer about: they will have a swim team next year.
Freshman standout Adam Rafferty said he was relieved to learn that he will be able to swim for Webster next season.
"(The swim team) has been nervous for the past couple weeks about whether we'd still have a team," Rafferty said, "but we finally got the word last Friday that we will. I was thrilled because I was planning on going to another college to swim next year if Webster discontinued the swimming program. Now I don't have to."
In an interview last week, Tom Hart, Webster's director of athletics, said the university was "evaluating the viability of the swimming program at Webster," which in layman's terms meant "the university is trying to decide whether Webster will have a swim team next year." The decision was complicated and many factors were involved.
A major factor was the lack of coaching following the resignation of head coach Kevin Mabie and assistant coach Myrna Greer. Hart is now in the process of filling the coaching void and he said he has already been in contact with three or four head coaching candidates over the last few days.
"I feel real good about the response we've already gotten," Hart said.
Other factors included NCAA sports sponsorship rules as well chronically low numbers of swimmers on the teams.
In order for a school to be recognized by the NCAA Division III, it must have at least 10 sponsored teams. Currently, Webster has 13 teams including men's and women's swimming. However, the women's swim team did not meet the NCAA's minimum requirements for participants and events, so, Webster cannot count it towards its sports sponsorship package that it will report this August. If the swim teams were discontinued all together, the university would drop to 11 teams and be dangerously close to not making the cut. If Webster were to fall under the minimum, no Gorlok team would be allowed to compete in NCAA competition. Clearly, this would be devastating to any Webster team that qualified for an NCAA tournament.
Freshman standout Adam Rafferty said he was relieved to learn that he will be able to swim for Webster next season.
"(The swim team) has been nervous for the past couple weeks about whether we'd still have a team," Rafferty said, "but we finally got the word last Friday that we will. I was thrilled because I was planning on going to another college to swim next year if Webster discontinued the swimming program. Now I don't have to."
In an interview last week, Tom Hart, Webster's director of athletics, said the university was "evaluating the viability of the swimming program at Webster," which in layman's terms meant "the university is trying to decide whether Webster will have a swim team next year." The decision was complicated and many factors were involved.
A major factor was the lack of coaching following the resignation of head coach Kevin Mabie and assistant coach Myrna Greer. Hart is now in the process of filling the coaching void and he said he has already been in contact with three or four head coaching candidates over the last few days.
"I feel real good about the response we've already gotten," Hart said.
Other factors included NCAA sports sponsorship rules as well chronically low numbers of swimmers on the teams.
In order for a school to be recognized by the NCAA Division III, it must have at least 10 sponsored teams. Currently, Webster has 13 teams including men's and women's swimming. However, the women's swim team did not meet the NCAA's minimum requirements for participants and events, so, Webster cannot count it towards its sports sponsorship package that it will report this August. If the swim teams were discontinued all together, the university would drop to 11 teams and be dangerously close to not making the cut. If Webster were to fall under the minimum, no Gorlok team would be allowed to compete in NCAA competition. Clearly, this would be devastating to any Webster team that qualified for an NCAA tournament.