VIDEO INTERVIEW: Texas’ First Championship Team Watches the 12th

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Members of Texas’ 1981 national championship team – the first for the school and also Eddie Reese’s first – gathered in Atlanta, Ga., this weekend to watch Reese, Kris Kubik and the Longhorns go for a 12th. As expected, Texas did earn that win, which tied them with Michigan for the most men’s NCAA titles. Reese broke a tie with Ohio State’s Mike Peppe for the most men’s team titles in a career and also tied Richard Quick for the most overall team titles by a coach. (Quick won 11 women’s titles and one men’s.)

Swimming World’s David Rieder got a chance to catch up with the seven swimmers: John Henry, Scott Spann, Joe Lajoie, John Kenny, Nick Nevid, William Paulus and John Smith. Sam Kendricks, now the PA announcer for the NCAA championships, was a freshman team manager for that team, and he joined his seven former teammates for a reunion during the final night of the meet. The alumni discussed what had changed with the team, school and coaches in the previous 35 years, explained the significance of Reese and Texas winning their 12th championship and also recounted how the tradition of lighting the tower for national championships began.