I have a friend (class of 2012) that wants to join the swimming team on campus. I noticed their roster is kind of small. What kind of times would he need to get on the team next year? He swam for his high school and was a sprinter.

tia

I'd suggest having him e-mail one of the coaches...their addresses are listed under staff directory at AggieAthletics.com

Sr./Jr. Nats, US Open, Trials.

The first thing he needs to do is to join Aggie swim club (the USS team), I think doing well there is the best way to get the coaches' attention.


Odds are, if he's class of 2012, and has been out of the pool for a year, then you...I mean your friend...is SOL. If you...I mean he has to ask what kind of times you...I mean he needs, then he's probably not good enough. We don't have one of the elite programs, but they're still pretty good.

As a freestyle sprinter (which is what our program is generally best known for), he probably needs to have best times of around a 47.00 in the 100 free SCY and around 22.00 in the 50 free, and have the build to be able to improve. This wouldn't get him a scholarship, but it might convince the coaches to give him a second look. He'd also need to convince them that he was in decent shape, and hadn't been sitting on his couch since his last highschool meet.

I don't know any of this as a fact, but its what I'd imagine. They're pretty stingy about non-preferred walkons.

But still would suggest him looking into the USS team if he just wants to train for personal satisfaction.

[This message has been edited by gobluwolverine (edited 4/27/2009 7:19p).]

Goblu - you probably mean Aggie Swim Club.

Jr. Nats times will surely get some attention. But my guess is the swimmer in question doesn't have Jr. Nats times because he would probably be on a Div 1 roster somewhere.

Thanks for all the info. I don't know what all the Jr Nats, Trials stuff means but maybe he knows. I remember he went to a district meet our senior year.

If he doesn't know, he won't make the team.

Everyone goes to the District meet in HS in Texas. There's no qualifying times, other than the fact that only 4 swimmers from each team are allowed in an event.


Where did your friend go to HS?

Jr. Nationals time standards:

http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/_Rainbow/Documents/8dd4e60a-b3cc-42be-9ad6-8192da8785f8/08_scy_juniors.pdf

Most Div 1 coaches will seriously consider a kid with times near these.

If the OP's friend finished his high school career at districts (did not advance to regionals) then he will not get on the A&M team. In Texas the top 6 in an event at districts advance to regionals. This is normally pretty easy to do. It is not nearly so easy to advance to state (only the reginal winner is assured of advancing). It is especially difficult in the big city 5A regionals.

I suspect Jay, because he is a nice guy, might chat with him. But he'd say the kid is not fast enough.

I know at one point 2 Jr cuts was basically the pre-req to walk on. When I was there myself and several others had multiple Jr's cuts, and were asked to swim AGS for a year because there were not enough roster spots available. Keep in mind we were still probably considered "preferred walk-ons" because these conversations were all when we were still in HS in the context of recruiting.

Anyway, some of us chose to go to A&M without an offer instead of swimming at another D1 school. If you showed improvement after a year with AGS USS team beyond those 2 cuts you would probably get a chance to walk on. I personally chose to play polo instead, but knew several guys that successfully walked on after a year of swimming USS for AGS. It seemed like there was always 1 or 2 guys that would do that every year.

... Oh ya, and to put it in HS swimming perspective, I was District MVP, 4-year regional finalist, 8 time all-state, and scored at state in individual events and relays and didn't get a roster spot.

Obviously, not saying this to boast b/c many on here are/were much faster than me. I'm just trying to put it in perspective that it's relatively difficult for most HS swimmers to walk on at A&M.

22.00??? i would tell your friend to not even bother unless he's under 20.7

i know for a fact they have 3 guys coming next year that are already that fast and a ton of other texas kids. i really doubt they'll take a whole lot more than they already have signed up.

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Pretty much agree... or at least low 21 with something to work with (6'6", long arms, great attitude & work ethic, etc.)

I don't really want to say what high school we went to.

I said 22.0 to get the coaches to look at him, not to get him a spot on the roster. I meant that with that kinda time, the coaches would consider his size, build, etc. It also sounds like this kid has never done year-round swimming, so if someone's going a 22.0 on summer league times and from a crappy highschool program, then there's a chance the coaches would do like you said H2O and say "go swim Ag for a year and I'll watch your times and see what happens."

Obviously a lifetime best of 22.0 probably wouldn't make the team.

Just to put some times in perspective - did you guys see that Fred Bousquet swam 20.94 last week 50 free long course meters? World record of course and first many under 21.

Two days earlier Alain Bernard swam 46.94 in the 100 LCM free - another WR. But Bousquet beat him in the finals.

how about a high school only swimmer that was 20.5 this year?

btw for those of you that worried about the depth of the aggie team - you can stop now.

Oh brother, not another member of the swim team coming on texags to tell us how we're all wrong about everything all the time.

hardly. wish i was.

ACTUALLY i was just trying to drum up some excitement about the class of guys coming in next year. besides, you were the only one that was wrong about anything anyway. jk

so what has 120 fingers and calls Texas home?

Cypress - that's a very good time. 20.50 would have won 5A state this year. Only 4 guys were sub 21 this year at state.

That's very close to Casey Strange's time as a senior in high school.

Is it time where we can start hearing names?

I don't know why everyone is so secretive about recruiting in these smaller sports...

quote:

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Oh brother, not another member of the swim team coming on texags to tell us how we're all wrong about everything all the time.

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You're really still stuck on that aren't you

I do not understand. I'm not a member of the swimming team. You look like you know much more than me!

Wasn't talking about you, Ricky. Sorry for the confusion.

GoBlu, you are so tiresome.

Again, you put info out and if ANYone in the least bit disagrees with your "opinion" you go off on them, like they should NEVER be against the opinion of the "few true" fans of a sport. I would guess that most are tired of you and would be willing to lose you. Where were you to compliment the team on its success? Don't remember you there...

As far as "secret" for "SMALLER" program (or did you mean less-important)...the NCAA has rules on when walk-ons can be announced. I think there has been another thread on the timing of when stuff gets out on swimming?

Stop beating your deadhorse "true" fan...and don't try and say I am on this team...again...

...here we go again...

noooobody's trying to talk trash here. let's all take it easy. goblu - you're right. no reason to be secretive. here are the guys i've heard committed already

John Wagner, Houston
John McClure, Dallas
Cheyne Hermes, Katy
Forrest Hughes, Freeport
Nick Han, Grapevine
Wes Wheeler, Round Rock
Austin Wilson, Kingwood
Max Lewis, Houston
Jack Burley, College Station
John Ariens, Transfer(originally San Antonio)
Randal Smith, Houston

i would think they'd have a few foreign guys as normal too. this is pretty old info though... there may be more by now.

WOW that's a huge class. Thanks for the info Cypress.

Are any of those guys distance swimmers??

[This message has been edited by gobluwolverine (edited 5/1/2009 9:17a).]

Nice group of Texas kids. Times for those that swam state this year below. I think the standouts are Hughes and Wilson. McClure's 500 time is very solid. I know Wheeler and he is a fine kid and solid swimmer. I have seen Ariens swim (Churchill) a low 4:00 400 IM. Hughes dominated 4A state in the 50, less so in the 100. The class seems a bit heavy on fly and back.

Wagner – 2im (1:53) and back (52)
McClure – 500 free (4:32) and backstroke (52)
Hermes – 100 breast (56)
Hughes – 50 free (20.5), 100 free (45.8) 4A champ in both
Han – 100 fly (50+)
Wilson – 50 free (20.4), 100 free (45+)
Wheeler –100 fly (50+), 100 back (51+)
Lewis – 100 fly (50+)
Burley – 50 free (22), 100 free (47+)
Ariens - 2IM (1:53) 100 back (51+) (2008 times)
Smith - ??


[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 5/1/2009 9:58a).]

I'd just like to point out that one of those guys goes a 22 in the 50 free, and a 47 in the 100 free. Point for me. (see winky face).


That looks like a great class. Several 45's in the 100, a bunch of 20s in the 50. Good butterfliers and backstrokers.

I believe that the Katy USS team lost their really good coach a few years ago, and has gone downhill a little since, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Hermes drop some serious time in the 100 Br. and push Lavery. I think he's also a pretty decent 200 Br (2:02 SCY).

So all-in-all, a well-rounded class. I wonder if any of those freestylers will be turned into distance swimmers?

Burley is faster than 22, also is about 6'8....and I have seen him swim up here and prolly has a good feel for the water.

Those are not real accurate times, as I know those guys have some better 200's etc. Max Lewis has been 1:49 I think. And a few of those guys are 1:51 back and/or fly

Burley's fastest 50 appears to be 21.92 swum in March at Sectionals. 1 tenth faster than his 22.02 at State.

Lewis swam a 1:47.4 200 free at Sectionals.

Looks like Wagner was faster at Regionals than at state. He swam a 1:52.17 2IM. Nice time.

He also has a 1:41.7 200 free - something A&M needs in the worst way.

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 5/1/2009 4:09p).]

quote:

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Lewis swam a 1:47.4 200 free at Sectionals.

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I can assure you that his 200Fr is not why Max Lewis was recruited...50./1:49 makes him the fastest flyer of the bunch

But McClure (1:42), Smith (20./45./1:42? as a Jr), and Wilson (1:42) will help there as well

Ariens went 50./1:50. Backs this spring at Hawaii, and 1:51 IM

Spicewood -

I know very little about swimming collegiately, but have a son that was on varsity as a freshman at a large and good 5A H.S. team in the Houston area. He has never been involved in year-round or club swimming.

Out of all of those kids you listed, how many receive scholarships and what percentage do they typically receive? I am very curious. My son loves basketball and is about 6'2 1/2" with wide-open growth plates. My wife and I hope he returns to swimming, instead of basketball, but don't want to push and make him regret it.

I don't know who gets what at A&M or other schools.

The key thing to remember is that in Div 1 only 9.9 scholarships are available for men's swimming and diving. If the roster has 24-28 athletes - you can see that most will have less than half a scholarship. A full scholarship in Div 1 is rare. At A&M I think the divers typically split 2 scholarships which leaves 7.9 for the rest of the team.

Many of the swimmers, even very good ones, are walkons. If they improve, they may earn 1/4 scholarship or even smaller amounts. tu's Big12 champion breaststroker from a few years ago told me he earned just book money his first year or two and eventually earned 1/2 for a semester.

If your son earns Junior Nationals cuts he will likely get attention from most D1 schools. Sr. Nationals or Olympic Trials times could earn a partial scholarship right away.

Spicewood -

Thanks for the info. It seems like a shame - the work that swimmers put into their sport for so little in the way of scholarships. I know....dead horse, etc.

Thanks again for the info.