The Morning Swim Show: Kim Brackin Discusses Possible Combined NCAA Championships; Walter Pfeiffer Discusses New Masters World Records and Creation of Butterfly Stroke; Brenda Villa Talks About Olympic Water Polo Preparation

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 5. CONVERSATIONS with a top college coach, a Masters world record holder and a water polo player highlight Thursday’s edition of The Morning Swim Show wraps up some major swimming and diving competitions that took place over the weekend and visits a diving meet honoring an American legend.

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Host Peter Busch talks about the news that a combined NCAA “festival” is in discussions between USA Swimming and coaching associations. Kim Brackin, head coach of the women’s team at the University of Texas, said she was “torn” about the idea of a combined meet. She said it would help teams with combined squads, but that it could dilute the effect of women’s swimming with the presence of men’s teams.

In Reaction Time, Busch talks with 95-year-old Walter Pfeiffer, who just broke five world records in the 95-99 Masters age group. Pfeiffer is now the oldest person to swim the 100 and 200 fly, as well as the 200 IM and 400 IM, in Masters competition. Pfeiffer talks about his butterfly stroke, and mentions that he was part of the creation of the modern butterfly stroke in the 1930s while a swimmer in Oklahoma. He also talks about what caused him to have a heart attack almost 20 years ago, and dishes on his daily breakfast ritual.

The show concludes with an interview with Brenda Villa, the captain of the USA women’s Olympic water polo. Villa tells Bruce Wigo about the teams the USA will play in the opening Olympic rounds: China, Italy and Russia. Villa also talked about the recent tough series against Canada, which Villa said was more of a training exercise and an attempt “to try and get into the flow.”

The USA is the reigning world champion going into the Olympics, just as they were in 2004 when they won the bronze. Villa said “nothing is going to be given to us,” so the team is not leaning on their world championship win.

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