Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: SPORTS

Media Credit: Chrislynn Mabul Kelly Gordon, Missouri City freshman, swam the women's 100-yard butterfly in the Green and White meet at the Pohl Recreation Center on Sept. 29. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Chrislynn Mabul Joe Dykstra, coach of the women's swimming and diving team, chatted with his squad before the Green and White meet in the Pohl Recreation Center on Sept. 29. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Chrislynn Mabul The North Texas swim team competed in the Green and White meet in the Pohl Recreation Center on Sept. 29. [Click to enlarge]

The NT swimming and diving team held a practice meet on Saturday at the Pohl Recreation Center. Although the White team emerged victorious over the Green team 135-130, everyone walked away feeling confident about the team.
"It's amazing for our whole team to be where we are right now," said sophomore Nicole Leslie. She said she is enthusiastic about the young talent of the team. "It's really exciting to have people of that caliber on our team," she said.
Head swimming and diving coach Joe Dykstra said the meet serves as a sort of dress rehearsal for the freshmen and those who have never participated in a meet.
"This is so they understand the sequence of how things operate," Dykstra said. "It's also very valuable to see them race once. I see them train every day, but [today I got the chance] to see them swim in a competitive situation to decide the roster in meets that actually count and determine who will do what event."
Despite the strong showing from the younger swimmers, Dykstra said the seniors are the backbone of the team. Among the seniors leading the team are Hannah Bakke and Bonnie Garcia-Meitin.
"We're training a lot harder this year than we were at this time last year," Bakke said.
The swim team will host the Mean Green Relays today at 4 p.m. against Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University. SMU is a perennial powerhouse who has been ranked in the top 10 nationally for the past decade. NT has never beaten SMU in the nine-year history of the swimming and diving program Dykstra said.
Competing against teams like SMU and TCU provides a little extra incentive for the swimmers.
"I don't think we've ever lined up against two teams of that caliber," Leslie said. "Especially starting out with TCU and SMU together. I think it can be a little intimidating, but I think it's more exciting."
Coach Dykstra said the meet today will be very crowd friendly, being mostly relays and local teams competing.
When asked if she thought NT could beat TCU, Bakke said, "Oh yeah."

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