This week in the coaches' corner, we chat with St. Benedict co-swimming and diving coach Kathy Walker, whose team competes at the Gustavus Invitational with Luther and Gustavus at 1 p.m. Saturday in St. Peter.
After coaching the Blazers herself the past five seasons, Walker has been joined by Mike Ritchie this season. Ritchie coached the team from 1989-99.
On how things have been going with she and Ritchie now working together:
"It's great. I get half the duties and all of the fun. Both of us kind of brings a different philosophy to the table. So we balance each other out a little. We each bring different strengths to the program."
On the addition of former St. Cloud State diver Nate Jimerson, a three-time national champion, as an assistant coach working with the team's divers:
"We brought in some talented divers and we needed to have a little more structure in our practices. Since we were changing up the head coaching duties, we decided to change things up throughout. He's very talented and has a lot to share."
On how the season has been going so far for the team (the Blazers fell 127-97 and 195-85 to Minnesota State-Moorhead in a pair of dual meets Nov. 6-7):
"We have great leadership from our seniors. We have someone who has placed in the championship heat of the conference meet in Abbey Brau (who won the 1,000 freestyle in the first meet against Moorhead and the 500 freestyle in the next). And we have a large first-year class with athletes from Alaska, Texas, Washington, all over. They've seamlessly blended into our team."
On sophomore Carolyn Triggs, who had a pair of first places in the first meet against Moorhead, winning both the 200 (2:00.88) and 500 (5:30.03) freestyle:
"Carolyn was a cross country runner last year who joined swimming after the cross country season was over. This year, she's just focusing on swimming and she's off to a good start. And there have been others. Isabel Pennings, a freshman from Idaho whose mother was a Fandel (of former St. Cloud department store Fandel's fame), is ranked first in the conference in the 50 freestyle and the 50 butterfly. So she's been a nice surprise.
"Everything is going very well."