Mortenson Returns for Meet Continued from Page 1D Bly Do in Running a Basketball Pro- Know Just How Bright Stan Is About Gram
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6D SPORTS a* Wisconsin State Journal, Sunday, July 24,1994 monitored study table, because tem scholar athlete of the year in Van Gundy there was no one else to give it to. 1981. I've done everything you can possi- "I don't think a lot of people Mortenson returns for meet Continued from Page 1D bly do in running a basketball pro- know just how bright Stan is about gram. ... things that have nothing to do with By Eric Anderson pushing me all the time. All three in their mid-50s and have busted "It also gives you a perspective basketball," Macarchuk said. Sports reporter elements are absent here." their hump for all those years, who Ail-City on a job like this, a tremendous ap- "Stan's not afraid to hit you right With all the successes former So Mortenson's interest in the started on the bottom and worked preciation for the support that you between the eyes, but when he does sport has turned to the future, their way up and know the game Olympic swimmer Jay Mortenson Swim Meet do have. I'm not going forward in it he does it in a way that makes had in his long and illustrious swim- which is what he'll witness first- from top to bottom; or even a guy this endeavor by myself here. And you feel comfortable. And 99 per- • When: Thursday through hand next weekend. like my dad (Bill), who's been ming career, one of the few things I've gone forward in endeavors be- cent of the time, he's right on," said that eluded him is still remem- Saturday. Preliminary events are "There are leagues like (Madi- coaching more than 30 years and is fore by myself." Jackson. bered. Thursday and Friday, with all son's) all over the country, and still driving a van to get his team finals Saturday. Competition each Once a task is set before him, When it became known last week "I started in the (Madison) city that's really good news for the from one gym to another. Those are Van Gundy doesn't dive for cover. day begins at 9 a.m. sport," he said. "But swimming has the guys who really deserve it, the that the former UW coach was league when I was seven, and I • Where: Cherokee Country He takes charge. No detail is too about to leave for Vancouver, he swam all the way until I was 18," one problem — finding and keeping guys who just love to coach for the minor. For example, two years ago, Club Pod, 5000 N. Sherman Ave. talented swimmers. Not many peo- sake of coaching and nothing else." was criticized in some circles for Mortenson said in a phone inter- • Who: About 1,300 swim- when Jackson was looking for an view this week from New York. mers between the ages of 6 and ple know that (former National Van Gundy's track record cer- being standoffish and too egotistical assistant, he called Stan, whom for the more down-to-earth Wiscon- "Mainly because Maple Bluff never 18 will compete in 68 events over Basketball Association star) Kiki tainly is not equal to the two men- Jackson knew through his brother the three days . Twelve city Vandeweghe still holds national age tors he mentioned. Macarchuk was sin fans. Jackson doesn't neces- won a meet while I was there. They Jeff. Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy sarily agree with the critique, but needed all the help they could get," pools will be represented: Chero- group records. Many swimmers his boss at both Canisius and Ford- coached together at Providence and kee, Maple Bluff, Hill Farm, Mid- choose other sports." he is the first to admit that Van And Thursday, when swimmers dleton, Monona, Nakoma, Ridge- ham for three years, two schools with the Knicks. from Maple Bluff and 11 other area Mortenson's ability to still have where Van Gundy served a Division Gundy will present a different de- wood, Shorewood, Westside, "I contacted Stan on a Sunday meanor than he did to the public, pools converge on the Cherokee fun swimming throughout his ca- I apprenticeship. and we planned to meet on the fol- Seminole and High Point. Semi- reer can be easily traced. more akin to Lou Costello than Country Club Pool for the 1994 All- nole and High Point are making Bill Van Gundy has coached for lowing Friday," Jackson recalled Jackson's Bud Abbott. City Swim Meet, Mortenson will be their first appearance at the "I never looked too far ahead. 36 years with stints at small, no- Saturday in a phone interview from en route to Madison. meet. When I was a city league swimmer, name schools whose scores will "Stan is very open. That is one of Vancouver. "In that time he put to- He will appear at the meet • Diving: The All-City diving I tried to finish on top of the Madi- never make the small print of a gether a book. It even included a the special things about him," Jack- son said. "You'll never have a hid- Friday and Saturday and will pre- meet will be Monday and Tues- son standings, when I was in state newspaper's Scoreboard unless the table of contents. sent special awards to senior swim- day at the Monona Community competition, I tried to be the best schools are blessed to reach some den agenda with Stan." Pool, 1101 Nichols Rd. Competi- "He broke down four films of mers appearing in their final meet. there," he said. "People would al- sort of national tournament. For Wisconsin games, complete with a How that will play with Van tion begins at 8 am. both days. Gundy's most important constitu- "With Maple Bluff co-hosting the ways asked me if I'd like to swim in many of those years he had fellow profile of the strengths and weak- About 250 divers are expected to the Olympics, but it never really travelers in his sons Stan and Jeff, nesses of the players, a whole sec- ency — the players — remains to meet, one of the women got a hold compete. be seen. Even he admits he can say of my dad," Mortenson said. "I was occurred to me. I never tried to an assistant with the New York tion on what our recruiting philoso- take a giant step." Knicks who is 2 years younger than phy should be and what our recruit- anything he wants to the players planning on conning home some now, but whatever impact those time during the summer, so I tion titles while competing for Stan- And that's Mortenson's advice his brother. Bill is still at it, driving ing needs would be, and identifying for those competitors at the All- that van through the hills of west- the guys he thought would be key to words have will not be known until picked this weekend." ford, and earned a gold medal at Oct. 15 when the Badgers open the 1988 Summer Olympics in City Meet. ern New York state on the junior- the program. He included a section Now an investment banker with "I didn't swim because I was college circuit for Genesee Com- on scouting forms he had used and practice. the Wall Street firm of Morgan Seoul, South Korea. Van Gundy recognizes that the good, I did it because I had fun," he munity College in Batavia. player evaluation forms; letters he Stanley, Mortenson succeeded on But since his Olympic experi- said. "The Olympics are a fun idea, Of course, the two mentors had written to recruits in the past pieces are in place, thanks to his every level of swimming during his ence, Mortenson has very rarely and Jackson's efforts over the past national titles are a fun idea, inter- would have to be described as and samples of the mailouts he'd years in the pool. been spotted near a pool. national travel is fun idea, but I biased sources. Nonetheless, the send recruits. two years. Four starters return He still holds the Wisconsin In- from the Badgers' first national "It's frustrating. I live in New think kids are best served by mas- teachers are very impressed with "Knowing Jeff as well as I did, I terscholastic Athletic Association York City, and the pools aren't tering their own level first. That the student's progress. This is a had come to expect a level of tournament team in 47 years. There records in the 100-meter butterfly, are two potential high NBA draft fabulous," Mortenson said. "I swam doesn't mean the progress can't man who coaches because he loves preparation from the Van Gundy 100 freestyle, and was a member of under near optimal conditions the come quickly, but there's a big dif- to coach. family that is probably greater picks in that crowd — forward the record-holding 400 freestyle Michael Finley and center Rashard last four or five years, with a ference between an Olympic ath- "He's probably the smartest bas- than others. But the extent of the relay team while swimming at coach, a limited number of swim- lete and local athlete. The chasm ketball mind I've ever been preparation for the interview was Griffith. He was intimately in- Madison West. He won four Na- volved in attracting the five new mers in each lane swimming and can be passable, but you have to around," Macarchuk said of Stan just overwhelming.