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SIU prepares to dive into season

As they wound down from yet another difficult practice Monday, the SIU swimmers and divers walked around the pool with ice packs strapped to various parts of their bodies.

They looked exhausted, physically drained and as if they were in amazingly good moods. As every man and woman passed head coach Rick Walker on the way to their respective locker rooms, smiles of encouragement were exchanged.

Since Walker added the responsibility of coaching the women's team to his long list of duties in late September, he said the practices have been organized chaos - which is exactly what he wants.

"When things go exactly as I or the athletes want them to, it's easy to get into a rut," Walker said.

The structured anarchy of Walker's strenuous practices has been leading up to both teams' first meet Saturday against Evansville. It's the first step toward the Missouri Valley Conference championships.

Last season the men captured the crown at the championships, and Walker is focused on attaining back-to-back titles. The Salukis have not accomplished that feat since the 1995-99 seasons when they dominated the MVC with five straight championships.

To do so, Walker will have to rely on five newcomers and the strength of his returning Salukis. Seven seniors were lost to graduation last year, and Walker said it would make at least a slight impact. "We lost some depth and didn't get it all back," Walker said. "We still have a team that can get it done."

Seniors Ivan Sanchez and Marcelo Possato will lead the 16 returning Salukis along with sophomore diver Brandon Birchak, who qualified for the NCAA Zone D Meet last season.

Possato said completing the back-to-back is the only thing on the minds of he and his teammates.

"I know the championship is far away but we want to win it right now," Possato said. "It will be the payback for these difficult practices."

The women Salukis will also strive to capture an MVC title after finishing second the last two years behind conference rivals Southwest Missouri State.

Getting acquainted with a new coach can be a difficult process, but Walker is no stranger to the women's team, having been here with the men for 12 years. Walker said he and his new team gelled almost immediately.

"I'm an easy-going guy, but I'm also a no-nonsense kind of coach," Walker said. "They realized that early on, and have adjusted to my coaching."

Nora Bunford said she was uneasy about training under a new coach at first. She came to SIU after being recruited by Jeff Goelz, the former head coach of the women's team. "It turned out to be really good, actually," Bunford said. "We trust Coach Walker, and the team is really being pushed this season."

With six freshmen joining the women's team, Walker isn't the only new face.

Balancing out the inexperienced team members are 18 returning Salukis, with 12 of them being letterwinners.

Among those 18 coming back are juniors Elizabeth McGowan and Kelsey Kinsella, sophomore Nora Bunford and freshman Gabriela Flores, all of whom are MVC champion swimmers.

Walker said he wasn't ready to guess at who would step up into the leadership roles on each team, considering the season hasn't even started yet.

"It's too early to tell right now," Walker said. "At the moment, it's anybody's ballgame."

The leaders may be more clearly defined when both Saluki teams travel to Evansville to square off against their conference foes Saturday.

Evansville has two young squads with six freshmen on the men's team and eight on the women's side. Walker said the teams' youth would likely factor into the success of the Salukis, but was quick to say the teams will still pose a challenge.

Possato said they should be respected, just as any opponent should.

"We're really excited and confident about it," Possato said. "The team is just going to try to win."