Swimming & Diving Focuses on Fundamentals in First Apply

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) swimming & diving group hosted their first observe of the 2025-26 season on the City of Pharr-PSJA Natatorium Wednesday.
 
With practically a month earlier than the season, the swimmers entered the natatorium round 12:30 p.m., excited to get off the blocks. Meanwhile, the divers, who had a session earlier within the morning, have been returning for his or her second exercise of the day.
 

Head swimming & diving coach Betsy Graham used at this time as a possibility to gauge the group’s health stage.
 
“To me, the first practice is always looking to see who came back in shape, looking at the young ladies who are new, and who I may not have seen swim,” Graham mentioned.
 
With the primary yr formally behind them, the group returns 17 student-athletes for the 2025-26 season. The basis has been laid and now the group focuses on sharpening their expertise, out and in of the pool.
 
“I saw a couple of our returners teaching some of the newcomers how to do our dynamic warm up,” Graham mentioned. “They’ve also been helpful in teaching the newcomers our five key points.”
 

The 5 key factors that Graham references are honesty, consistency, communication, reward, and respect. For the swimming & diving program, these 5 factors are the guiding beacon to a profitable season.
 
“We did well with this last year, but I want us to continue to do well,” Graham mentioned.
 
On the boards, diving coach Jenn Mangum used the primary observe to return to the fundamentals.
 
“Today, I wanted our divers to get used to the longer warm up again and focus on some of the little things like the basics of board work and takeoffs,” Mangum mentioned.
 
Mangum enters this season with 4 divers, two returners and two newcomers. The returners, senior and group captain Delaney Murphy and sophomore Manou Meulebeek want to construct off a very good 2024-25 marketing campaign.
 
“We already have some goals that we talked about at the end of last season,” Mangum mentioned. “We already have a road map of where we want to get to.”
 

The Vaqueros could have their first public displaying of 2025-26 on Sept. 26 and 27 after they host their annual Orange & Gray Intrasquad Meet and Pentathlon on the City of Pharr-PSJA Natatorium. The first official meet is ready for Oct. 11 after they go to UT Permian Basin.
 
“Right now, we’re just going to get back in shape and take a look at our sprinting abilities,” Graham mentioned. “We still have a month to knock some stuff out and help prepare them for their first meet.”

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