Coach Richard Sybesma has been the head coach of the Horned Frog Swimming and Diving team for 33 seasons, but this time around, he knows he has an advantage.

Six of the team’s swimmers competed during the summer months, some internationally. 
Sybesma  said he feels like the team really has an advantage this year because several swimmers made the commitment this summer to improving the TCU team.

“We’re a year-round sport, and we have to be doing things year round in order to get better—in order [not] just to stay up but to get ahead,” Sybesma said. “You can’t just take three months off and expect to come back and win. You have to be doing it year round, and that’s a swimming thing. Swimming has always been a year-round commitment.”

Senior Edgar Crespo beat his own records at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai during the last week of July. 

Senior Laszlo Gyurko had the opportunity to spend some time at home while competing at the Hungarian National Championships.  He placed in the top eight in four separate events.

Laszlo said he felt confident about the upcoming season because of the experience he gained at the Hungarian Nationals. 

“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “Since I’ve been here, this is the best team we’ve had.”

However, Laszlo said readjusting to the 25-yard pool for the NCAA meets would be a bit of a challenge. 

The swimmers had to grow accustomed to swimming in a 50-meter Olympic-size pool for the summer and international competitions.  Swimmers contend in a 25-yard pool during the college season.

In the 25-yard pool, Laszlo said he must focus more on his starts and underwaters while he had to concentrate mainly on his strokes and turns in the 50-meter pool.

First year student Josh Mangus proved he was up to the challenge at the Speedo Junior National Championships in Palo Alto, Calif. He met an Olympic Trials qualifying standard in the 200-backstroke and placed seventh overall in the finals.

Mangus said he was eager for the season to start and was looking forward to being a part of a collegiate team.

“I would like to see a lot of people at our meets,” he said. “It would be nice to have a big audience to support us.”