Texas A&M has kicked off the season with a bang at the Lone Star Lake last Saturday. The men’s swimming and diving team placed 5th at College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Collegiate Open Water Championships.
The head coach of Texas A&M men’s swimming and diving team, Jay Holmes, said that he was happy to start off this year’s season with a good placing in the CSCAA. The 5k open water race helps the distance swimmers prepare mentally for the big competitions ahead.
Holmes added that Saturday’s race helped the players can a different training experience than in pool swimming, and there are plenty of opportunities for the team to enhance their performance in the future.
Placing 10th
Sophomore Felipe Rizzo was the star of the team who remained in the lead pack for the most part of the 5k swim. He managed to place 10th with a finishing time of 59:56.04, just a few seconds behind Missouri’s Giovanni Gutierrez who claimed the winning title in the race.
Holmes praised Felipe after the race ended and said that he led his team with dedication and fought for the lead the entire hour.
The other four members of the team were just behind the leading pack which can be quite challenging for the swimmers because they can’t see much ahead of them due to all the splashing.
Overall, Holmes called it a tough but an excellent swim. He added that he can’t wait to meet up with the team after the championship and devise a winning strategy for the rest of the season.