Coach Guarriello's Comments Following Friday's Practice
Oct 2, 2009 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 2, 2009
On Tulane's return to competition following a three-year layoff
"It's a really exciting time. The girls have adapted really well to the program. They're a different team than they were six weeks ago. We had a girl fall off the curb and sprain her ankle, and now she's doing power cleans six weeks later and lifting more than anyone else on the team. They're better athletes than they were when they got here outside of swimming, and they're really adapting well to the training. We've been increasing their yardage pretty significantly over the last couple of weeks and it's almost like they want more. I think getting the opportunity to race this weekend will be a welcomed event for them."
On the team finally getting to compete after six weeks of practice
"It gets very monotonous, but I see a different mentality among the girls than they had a week ago. We were in week five and still hadn't raced. We've used the meet sort of like the carrot on the string, the incentive to train strong and get through the week. They're excited and it's refreshing to be able to have a competition to look forward to."
On being the lone member of the 2005-06 team to return for the 2009-10 season
"It's amazing. I consider myself the luckiest person who was on that last team because I was able to come back. The girls who were here before had their college swimming experience taken away from them with very little notice and it was no fault of anyone in particular. We also had a pause in our career as coaches, so being able to come back and continue what we started with a fresh new group of ladies - who are hands down the best group of girls that we've had on the team in the school's history - it's great. I'm enjoying it, it's fun and I'm loving every day."
On the team's goals for the 2009-10 season
"I think it's realistic for us to position ourselves for anywhere between a third- and fifth-place finish at conference. I think it's very realistic that we will still be swimming in March at the NCAA Championships with one or more swimmers. They're going to be a successful program, maybe not in the win-loss column but in a year or two, they're going to be challenging the top teams in conference."
On how special it is to be facing a UNO team that also was affected by Hurricane Katrina
"It is. I think we have a lot in common. I was thinking about our two teams the other day. They got to continue and we didn't, but the circumstances were not ideal for them. We kind of have that special Katrina bond between the two of us and now we get to go head-to-head again for the first time in years. They're really the only other team in the country that experience what we experienced."
