UCONN swimmer Joshua Wroblewski posted a YouTube video discussing his plans and reaction after the school cut the men’s swimming and diving program.
On June 24, UCONN announced it is cutting its men’s swimming and diving program, along with its men’s tennis, men’s cross country, and women’s rowing teams after the 2020-2021 school year as a result of the school’s $10 million budget deficit.
In the video, Wroblewski, who has been a documentarian of sorts for the UConn team, begins by explaining the situation surrounding the programs being cut. He then explains the team’s reaction to hearing the news, “it was terrible to hear, everyone was devastated. Our entire team was broken up and people were thinking about transferring. A lot of people did, we now only have about half the team left.”
As a rising senior, Wroblewski explains that he intends on staying with the team to finish out the majority of the season. Due to the timing of the program cut, UCONN gave swimmers the option to stay there and swim in some capacity if they want. As Wroblewski explains, “We’re not going to get the same kind of experience we would have gotten if the whole team was there this year, obviously. Everyone in my class is planning on staying which thank god because those guys have swum with three years now and I want to finish it with those people.”
He then announces, “I am going to graduate in December, I have enough credits and all my requirements for my major and minor, and I’m going to graduate in December, swim from the first day of practice in September to December 14th whatever it is, and basically just graduate from college a little early, and not finish my season. Especially since the team is basically half the size that it was.”
After graduation, Wroblewski says he intends on training until his final meet, which will be the US Olympic Trials in June 2021. He is currently qualified to compete in the 400m freestyle with his best time of 3:56.93 that he achieved during the Rutgers Invitational last December.
Wroblewski”s Other UCONN Swimming Videos:
