2021 Gumbo final - Book - Page 29
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T
he LSU Swim and Dive team has achieved many
things throughout its last season, despite a
plethora of COVID-19 restrictions. They were able
to accomplish these things thanks to the guidance of the
team’s coaches and the athletes’ consistent teamwork.
Head coach David Geyer has been coaching LSU Swim for
15 years and has spent nine years as the Tigers’ head coach.
The swim team typically holds practice around six days a
week while doing nine to 10 workouts during the same
period. Three of the workouts in the week start at about 6
a.m. There are also multiple afternoon practices Monday
through Friday, along with a Saturday morning workout.
Geyer said the team had to modify its training
environment to follow state protocols, as well as get
approval from the medical task force through the athletic
department.
“This put, for the most part, two athletes per lane
training at opposite ends of the pool,” Geyer said. “While
our competition is really individual-focused in terms of
performance and times, our training environment usually
provides a great deal of social interaction. That was limited
greatly this year.”
The men’s swim team competed in the SEC Championship
at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Missouri. Brooks
Curry medaled three times at the SEC Championship, with his
highest place being second in the 100-yard Freestyle. Curry is
a sophomore on the swim team and has been competitively
swimming for 12 years.
Freshman Mitch Mason re-broke his school record in the
100-yard Breaststroke at the tournament. Closing out the
meet, sophomore David Boylan swam a career best time in
the 200-yard Butterfly.
Three Tiger Women divers—Helle Tuxen, Anne Tuxen and
Montserrat Gutierrez Lavenant—went to Greensboro, North
Carolina, for the NCAA Championships.
Freshman Helle Tuxen is from Stavanger, Norway, and has
been on the swim and dive team since the beginning of the
year. She competes in all the events: one-meter, three-meter
and 10-meter. She also said the team did great considering
all limitations with the Coronavirus.
“The most rewarding part of being part of this amazing
team is that they really took me in as a family,” Tuxen said.
“They just want what’s best for you and for the team. The
team just makes the whole experience at LSU a lot better!”
swim & dive