Jessica Hardy, Haley Anderson, and coach Catherine Vogt after an open water training swimming in California
…Former Pitt assistant coach Casmera Wick has been hired as a new assistant at in-state competition Villanova. According to Pitt, the move was made so that Wick could be “closer to home.” She spent one season with the Panthers after serving as an interim head coach at Swathmore College. She’s a born-and-bred Big East swimmer, as a former conference champion and All-American for Rutgers…
…The German Swimming Federation is reporting that Olympic legend Gerhard Hetz has passed away in his adopted home of Mexico at the age of 69. Though he only won one individual Olympic medal (a bronze in Tokyo in 1964), he twice broke the World Record in the 400 IM – once in 1962 with a 4:53.8, and then again taking it back from American Ted Stickels in 1963 in 4:50.2…
..BYU Alum Yolanda Bates has been hired as the new assistant coach for the Cougars, taking the spot vacated when John Brooks was promoted to head coach in April. Bates is regarded as one of the best high school coaches in the state, having led the boys at Mountain Crest High School in nearby Hyrum to 6-straight Regional titles, plus two state crowns in the same period. She’s a native of Mexico City who was one of the best swimmers in her country during her swimming days some 30 years ago.
…Jessica Hardy tweeted this picture earlier today, after a Haley Anderson training swim. The USC swimmers are very tight-knit, and Hardy was actually paddling a support boat for a Haley Anderson training swim as the pair is in Irvine together for the Speedo Grand Challenge this weekend. It’s great to see pool swimmers supporting open water swimmers. Anderson is preparing for the open water Olympic Qualifier that will be held in two weeks in Portugal…
…The Arizona Republic is reporting that the Mesa Aquatic Club in the Phoenix Metropolitan area has put in a bid to host a stop of USA Swimming’s Grand Prix Series in the 2013-2016 quadrennial. Their $8.4 million, open-air Skyline Aquatic Center is very similar to the nearby Kino Aquatic Center that hosted the 2011 Spring Masters Nationals meet that was very successful. Phoenix hosted stops in this tour in the 90’s, but the series has become a whole new animal since then and has become a premier event in the world of swimming. The only open-air Grand Prix on the current schedule is the Santa Clara meet that will begin next weekend in California…
Masters Nationals was actually held at the Kino Aquatic Facility. It is nearly identical to the Skyline facility.
very nice swimming pool !!! happy it’s in arizona !!!