U.S. Air Force Academy 2006-07 Women’s Swimming & Diving Media Guide Quick Facts Table Of Contents The 2006-07 Air Force men’s and women’s swimming and diving media guide is pro- General Information Schedule . IFC duced as a source of information for the Location . 2168 Field House Drive Table of Contents/Quick Facts/Media Info. 1 media. Other materials may be obtained by . USAF Academy, CO 80840 contacting the athletic media relations office: Colors. Blue & Silver The Staff Nickname. Falcons Head Coach Casey Converse . 2-3 Air Force Athletic Media Relations Enrollment . 4,000 Diving Coach Stan Curnow. 4 2168 Field House Dr. Founded . 1954 Academic Support Staff. 5 USAF Academy, CO 80840-9500 Affiliation . NCAA Div. I Phone: 719-333-2313 Conference . Mountain West Meet The Falcons Fax: 719-333-3798 Home Pool . The Cadet Natatorium Season Outlook . 6 Superintendent . Lt. Gen. John Regni Roster . 7 Working Press Credentials Athletic Director . Dr. Hans Mueh Cadet Athlete Bios . 8-13 Press and Photograph credentials are issued Vice A.D.. Brad DeAustin How We Train . 14 to members of the working media only. These credentials may be obtained by con- Coaching Staff History tacting the athletic media relations office. Head Coach . Casey Converse 2005-06 Season Recap. 15 Upon acceptance of applications, appropri- Alma Mater/Year . Washburn/1984 Air Force Top 10. 16 ate passes can be picked up at the Athletic Phone . 719-333-4765 Service Academy Top 10 . 17 Media Relations office. E-mail . [email protected] Falcon Honors . 18-19 Career Record. 247-159-2/21 years Letterwinners . 20 Press Parking School Record . 235-118-2/18 years Where Are They Now. 21-22 There is no press parking available. The ear- Assoc. Head Coach . Rob Clayton lier you arrive, the better parking you’ll find. Assistant Coach. Capt. Maiya Anderson The Academy Head Diving Coach . Stan Curnow The Academy Experience . 23 Air Force Practices Senior Leadership . 24 All Air Force practices both home and on the Team Information road are open to the media. Media mem- 2005-06 Dual Record. 7-10 bers wishing to film practice must make 2005-06 Conference Record . 2-6 arrangements with the athletic media rela- 2005-06 Conference Meet . 8th tions office to attend practice. A representa- Letterwinners Returning/Lost. 14/3 tive from the athletic media relations office Newcomers . 7 must accompany you. Media Relations Post-Meet Procedures Asst. A.D./Media Relations . Troy Garnhart Head swim coach KC Converse and head Swimming Contact . Nick Arseniak diving coach Stan Curnow will be available Office Phone . 719-333-9251 10 minutes following the end of the meet on Fax . 719-333-3798 the pool deck. Swimmers and divers will be E-mail. [email protected] available immediately after. The Air Force Mailing Address . Athletic Media Relations locker room and training room are closed to . 2168 Field House Drive all media. USAF Academy, CO 80840 Web Site . www.goAirForceFalcons.com Final statistics are available following the meet upon request. In-Season Interviews All Air Force players and coaches are avail- able for interviews with the following guide- lines. All interviews must be made through the athletic media relations office at 719-333- 9251 or 333-2313. All interview requests must be made at least one day in advance so that the player or coach can be properly notified. - 1 - 2006-07 Air Force Women’s Swimming & Diving - 1 - HHEEAADD CCOOAACCHH CCAASSEEYY CCOONNVVEERRSSEE The Converse File Full Name: Keith Converse Hometown: Topeka, Kansas College Education: Washburn University (Kan.), BA in Education 1984 The 2006-07 season marks coach Casey part of the history of this great institution.” Converse's 22nd year of coaching college College Career: University of Alabama-- swimming. With an overall dual meet record Converse continued, “I am fortunate to 1976 Olympic Team member (400 freestyle, of 242-127, Converse is the winningest swim have been acquainted with two of the ‘found- ninth); NCAA Champion and All-American; coach in Academy history. Converse's career ing fathers’ of the swim program at the Set NCAA (1000 freestyle) and American has come full circle since 2005, as he Academy. Bob Nugent and Paul Arata both (1650 freestyle) records returned to coaching men as well as women wore many hats during their time as officer- swimmers. While technically the women's head coaches, but both expressed their pas- head coach, Converse and men's coach Rob sion and best memories in terms of their Coaching Accomplishments: 1994, 1995 Clayton share coaching duties among vari- coaching opportunities. As the first full-time NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year; ous specialty groups as the men and women civilian head coach, I feel fortunate to be able 1993, 1995 PCSC Women’s Coach of the train together as one big team. to devote the largest part of my energies to Year; 1991 WAC Coach of the Year; 1992 building the swimming and diving programs. Division II National Champions (Women); "With a great colleague like Rob Clayton, we This is a luxury that former officer-coaches did Nine Division II National Champions; Seven have been able to design a program that not have.” Western Athletic Conference Champions; takes advantage of the strengths of our vari- 60 All-Americans; Two MWC Champions ous coaches while keeping the unique identi- After guiding the men's and women's ty and goals of the women's swim team,” swimming programs for 10 years, Converse is Converse said. “Our program now allows us in his seventh season coaching only the Coaching Experience: Metropolitan YMCA, to tailor workouts more specifically to the women and his 17th season at the Academy. 1980; Mid-American Swim Team, (Head needs of stroke and distance specialties. Converse has built an outstanding program Age Group Coach) 1981-1984; Mid- Given the unique demands on cadet time, we with both teams over the last decade. Over American Swim Team, (Head Coach) 1984; know we have to use our training time as effi- the past couple of seasons, Converse has Cincinnati Pepsi Marlins (Asst. Coach), ciently as possible. Our present set-up allows more than met the challenge of transforming 1985; New Mexico State University (Head coaches Capt. Maiya Anderson and Capt. the women's squad from a dominant Division Coach), 1985-1988; U.S. Air Force Academy Matt Davis to play more integral roles in the II program to a respected member of the --(Head Coach women’s swimming), 1988- workout scenario." Mountain West Conference. present. Last year, Converse guided the Falcons to a 7- For eight seasons (1989-96), Converse Inside the Numbers with Converse 10 dual record and an eighth place finish in directed the women to an outstanding 73-21 the Mountain West Conference Swimming record at the Division II level. The Falcons Year W L T Pct. Championships. The Falcons had its best were dominant in the Division II ranks, win- 1989 15 5 0 .750 conference dual season since joining the ning five conference championships 1990 16 5 0 .762 Mountain West, posting a pair of conference (Continental Divide and Pacific Collegiate) and 1991 19 7 0 .731 dual wins. two national championships (1995 and 1996). 1992 18 3 0 .857 Additionally, the women finished in the top 10 1993 15 6 0 .714 Converse posted his 200th victory at the five times. 1994 13 9 0 .591 Academy during the 2002-03 season to pass 1995 18 8 0 .692 Lt. Col. Paul Arata in total wins at Air Force. Individually, Converse has coached 32 1996 15 7 0 .682 Converse enters the 2006-07 season with a different athletes who have earned first-team 1997 13 7 0 .650 254-169-2 career record. All-American honors 178 times. He has also 1998 22 2 2 .865 guided six athletes to 13 national titles, four 1999 6 9 0 .400 “I am grateful for the successes we have relay teams to national titles (including the 2000 9 7 0 .563 achieved as a team here at the Academy,” 1996 400-medley relay team that established 2001 11 8 0 .579 said Converse. “Anyone who knows anything an NCAA Division II record, 10 swimmers to 2002 6 7 0 .461 about our program over the past 16 years Western Athletic Conference titles and two 2003 13 6 0 .684 knows that the credit for all the victories we MWC champions. 2004 8 6 0 .571 have enjoyed goes to the tremendously ded- 2005 18 15 0 .545 icated officer-coaches and cadet-athletes. On 2006 7 10 0 .412 a personal level. I am struck by what a privi- Total 242 127 2 .655 lege it is to work at the Academy and to be a - 2 - 2006-07 Air Force Women’s Swimming & Diving HHEEAADD CCOOAACCHH CCAASSEEYY CCOONNVVEERRSSEE In 1998, Connie Cann became the second Falcon to compete in the NCAA Division I Women's Championships. Under Converse's guidance, Cann finished fifth in the WAC Championships in the 100 butterfly before going on to finish 21st in that event at the NCAA Championships. No stranger to national acclaim, Converse has earned coach of the year hon- ors a total of five times at either the NCAA Division II level, the WAC or the Pacific Collegiate Swimming & Diving Conference. As impressive as his record is in the pool of competition, Converse has also coached athletes that have accomplished a great deal academically. A total of 27 athletes have earned academic all-conference honors 41 times under coach Converse, leading all Academy teams in this category.