NEW ORLEANS - Within the University
of New Orleans
athletic department, there have been discussions as to the history of the UNO
swimming and diving program. When athletic director Jim Miller announced the
formation of a men's program in time for the fall 2008, the conversation picked
up.
The UNO
men's swimming and diving program will hit the pool in September. When they do,
it will be the first time a UNO men's swimming and diving program has competed
since 1992, according to records recently recovered.
In an
attempt to restore records for several sports that have been put on hiatus over
the years, the sports information office discovered swimming records for both a
men's and women's program.
The
original UNO women's swimming and diving program was started in 1984-85 under
the direction of Ray Woods, who had previously served as head coach at the University
of Miami.
Woods
brought to the program a tremendous amount of experience, having produced 85
All-Americans in five years as the Hurricanes women's coach. Prior to his stop
in Miami, Woods
was the head women's coach at the University
of Texas
in Austin.
Shannon
McIntyre became the first athlete to sign with the program, originally signing
with Miami
before Woods came to the Lakefront.
The native
of Arcadia,
Calif.
would go on to become the first NCAA qualifier in UNO swimming history. During
her time at UNO, she won the 200 meter breaststroke at the 1983 Sports Festival
Games, finished 13th in the US national championships and was world ranked in
the event. McIntyre's time of 2:21.16 in the event set on Feb. 16, 1985 still stands,
eclipsing the 2006 Sun Belt Conference time of 2:25.59 of Erica Granesater
It was
discovered that McIntyre also still holds the school mark in the 100 breast
with a time of 1:05.77, set on Feb. 16, 1985. The mark replaces the 1:07.27 set
at the 2008 Sun Belt Conference meet by Granesater.
"In
any scenario, it's important to find the history of a program to know what
standards were set before at our university,” said current head coach Randy
Horner. “It means more to the girls to know they hold records that exceed what
was done previously. The two records that still stand, it's important for that
person to know that they still hold a place here and it will be a goal for us
to erase that this year."
As is the
case now with the UNO women's team competing a few years prior to the formation
of a men's team, the Privateer women were joined by a men's swimming and diving
team in 1988.
Woods said
in a release when the men's team was added, that it would improve the team's
schedule. "We'll be able to attract better teams here to compete," he
said. "It's difficult for us to call Alabama
and invite just their women's team because the men's team competes in the same
meets."
With
information on the men's team, a record book has been established, which will
set standards for which the re-established men's swimming and diving program
members can aim at as they hit the pool this coming fall.
"It
gives us a starting mark for all of our men, some are definitely faster than
other records and it will take more time to erase,” said Horner.
Patrick
Daigle was the top swimmer of the original incarnation of the program as he
currently holds marks in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 free events. A native of Marrero,
La.,
Daigle also was part of all four record-holding relay teams.
The records
for both programs do have gaps, which Ed Cassiere, the former UNO sports
information director explained had to do with the lack of record-keeping.
"My
office did not provide a lot of swimming publicity or record keeping,"
said Cassiere. "At times that seemed OK with Ray Woods, who was not happy
with the program's poor funding."
Both
programs were cut in 1992 and were eventually replaced by men's tennis and
women's golf. UNO at the time had a women's tennis and men's golf program to
compliment these additions.
The women's
program was restarted in 2004 under the lead of Ashley Tappin, a former Olympic
swimmer. Horner, an assistant at Missouri
State,
took over the program prior to the 2007 season.
Similar to
the original formation of the women's program that coincided with the opening
of the Lakefront Arena, the men's swimming and diving program returns in 2008,
coinciding with the re-opening of the Lakefront Arena after several years of
renovation following the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Now with
names and information from the past, Horner hopes that his team can connect to
former student-athletes who swam for the Privateers while continuing to build
on the amount of information already gathered.
“More than
anything, I hope it allows us a chance to connect back to some of our alumni
and get them in touch with our team now,” said Horner.
All former
Privateer swimmers and divers are encouraged to contact Horner at rhorner@uno.edu.
