2003-04 Air Force Swimming and Diving TThhiiss iiss AAFFAA SSwwiimmmmiinngg Quick Facts Table of Contents The Academy Schedule . IFC Location: . Colorado Springs, CO Table of Contents / Quick Facts . 1 Address: . 2169 Field House Dr. USAF Academy, CO 80840 The Coaches Founded: . 1954 Casey Converse . 2-3 Enrollment: . 4,000 Stan Curnow / History of Diving. 4 Colors:. Blue and Silver Assistant Coach /Officer Representatives . 5 Nickname: . Falcons Conference: . Mountain West Meet the Falcons Superintendent: . Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa Season Outlook. 6 NCAA Faculty Rep.: . Col. Hans Mueh Rosters . 7 Athletic Director:. Col. Randy Spetman Swimmer Bios . 8-13 Assoc. A.D/SWA. Marti Gasser History Coaching Staff Generations/MWC Champions . 14 Head Coach: . Casey Converse All-Time Top 10 . 15 Alma Mater (Year). Washburn, 1984 Service Academy Top 10 . 16 Email: . [email protected] Where Are They Now . 17 School Record: . 209-97-2 (15 years) Falcon Honors / Record Holders . 18-20 Career Record:. 221-138-2 (18 years) Letterwinners . 21-22 Assistant Coaches: Stan Curnow (BYU, 1977) -- Head Diving Coach The Academy [email protected] Academy Athletics . 23 Capt. Erika Foster (Air Force, 1994) Academy Admissions . 24 [email protected] Media Relations Credits / On the Cover Office Phone:. (719) 333-2313 Office Fax: . (719) 333-3798 On the Cover Website:. airforcesports.com Swimming Contact: . SrA Gilbert Boisson 2003-04 Team Photo Office: . (719) 333-9251 Home: . (719) 930-6991 Credits Email: . [email protected] The 2003-04 women’s swimming and diving media guide is a prod- uct of the athletic media relations office. SrA Gil Boisson, athlet- ic media relations assistant and Troy Garnhart, assistant ath- letic director for media relations, wrote and designed the guide. Editing was provided by members of the athletic media relations office. Madeline McGuire, office manager, is responsible for the cover design and layout. Photography was done by the Rohmann Joint Venture photographic division and Dave Black Photography of Colorado Springs, Colo. Printing of the guide was done by McCormick Armstrong in Colorado Springs, Colo. Page 1 2003-04 Air Force Swimming and Diving KKeeiitthh CCaasseeyy CCoonnvveerrssee Head Coach Air Force head more than met the challenge of trans- women's swim- forming the women's squad from a The Converse File ming coach dominant Division II program to a Keith (Casey) legitimate Division I program. Full Name: Keith Converse Converse post- ed his 200th For eight seasons (1989-96), Hometown: Topeka, Kansas victory at the Converse directed the women to an College Education: Washburn University Academy dur- outstanding 73-21 record at the (KS), BA in Education 1984 ing the 2002-03 Division II level. The Falcons were season to pass dominant in the Division II ranks, win- College Career: University of Alabama-- Lt. Col. Paul Arata in total wins at Air ning five conference championships 1976 Olympic Team member (400 freestyle, Force. Converse enters the 2003-04 (Continental Divide and Pacific ninth); NCAA Champion and All-American; Set NCAA (1000 freestyle) and American season with 221-138-2 career record. Collegiate) and two national champi- (1650 freestyle) records onships (1995 and 1996). Additionally, “I am grateful for the successes we the women finished in the top 10 a Coaching Accomplishments: 1994, 1995 have achieved as a team here at the total of five times. NCAA Division II National Coach of the Academy,” said Converse. “Anyone Year; 1993, 1995 PCSC Women’s Coach of who knows anything about our pro- Individually, Converse has coached the Year; 1991 WAC Coach of the Year; 1992 Division II National Champions gram over the past 15 years knows that 32 different athletes who have earned (Women); Nine Division II National the credit for all the victories we have first-team All-American honors a total Champions; Seven Western Athletic enjoyed goes to the tremendously dedi- of 178 times. He has also guided six Conference Champions; 60 All-Americans cated officer-coaches and cadet-ath- athletes to 13 national titles, four relay letes. On a personal level, I am struck teams to national titles (including the Coaching Experience: Metropolitan by what a privilege it is to work at the 1996 400-medley relay team that estab- YMCA, 1980; Mid-American Swim Team, (Head Age Group Coach) 1981-1984; Mid Academy and to be a part of the histo- lished an NCAA Division II record) American Swim Team, (Head Coach) 1984; ry of this great institution.” and 10 swimmers to Western Athletic Cincinnati Pepsi Marlins (Asst. Coach), Conference titles. 1985; New Mexico State University (Head Converse continued, “I am fortu- Coach), 1985-1988; U.S. Air Force nate to have been acquainted with two In 1998, Connie Cann became the Academy --(Head Coach women’s swim- of the "founding fathers" of the swim second Falcon to compete in the ming), 1988-present. program at the Academy. Bob Nugent NCAA Division I Women's and Paul Arata both wore many hats Championships. Under Converse's during their time as officer-head coach- guidance, Cann finished fifth in the Inside the Numbers with Converse es, but both expressed their passion WAC Championships in the 100 butter- and best memories in terms of their fly before going on to finish 21st in Year W L T Pct. coaching opportunities. As the first that event at the NCAA 1989 15 5 0 .750 full-time civilian head coach I feel for- Championships. 1990 16 5 0 .762 tunate to be able to devote the largest 1991 19 7 0 .731 part of my energies to building the A glance at the Falcon record book 1992 18 3 0 .857 1993 15 6 0 .714 swimming and diving programs. This reveals that all of the fastest times in 1994 13 9 0 .591 is a luxury that former officer-coaches Academy history, both men's and 1995 18 8 0 .692 did not have.” women's, belong to athletes coached by 1996 15 7 0 .682 Converse. Air force senior Sarah 1997 13 7 0 .650 After guiding the men's and Crowell won the 2003 MWC champi- 1998 22 2 2 .865 women's swimming programs for 11 onship in the 100 butterfly with a time 1999 6 9 0 .400 years, Converse is in his sixth season of 56.45. In fact, most of the top-10 2000 9 7 0 .563 coaching only the women and his 16th times can be attributed to those 2001 11 8 0 .579 season at the Academy. Converse has coached by Converse. 2002 6 7 0 .461 built an outstanding program with both 2003 13 6 0 .684 teams over the last decade. Over the Total 209 97 2 .680 past couple of seasons, Converse has Page 2 2003-04 Air Force Swimming and Diving No stranger to national acclaim, Converse has been named coach of the year a total of five times at either the NCAA Division II level, the Western Athletic Conference or the Pacific Collegiate Swimming & Diving Conference. As impressive as his record is in the pool of competi- tion, Converse has also coached athletes that have accom- plished a great deal academically. A total of 27 athletes have earned all-conference honors a total of 41 times under coach Converse, leading all Academy teams in this category. In 1999, 10 Falcon swimmers and divers earned aca- demic all-conference honors. Heading the list was Krista Steenbergen, who earned GTE Academic All-American hon- ors with her 3.50 GPA in physics. Cann was also a Division I Academic All-American in 1999. Prior to the Academy, Converse guided the swimming program at New Mexico State. His three-year stint may have been short, but the Aggies benefited from Converse's knowledge. The women achieved their first winning season in a decade as they went 6-5 in 1988 while the men recorded Maggie, Casey, Sherry, Rosie their best finish ever (fourth) at the Pacific Coast Athletic coach. Association (PCAA) Championships. A total of 10 swim- mers qualified for the U.S. Nationals, while 37 school Converse has served on several national coaching staffs. records were In 1991, he was a member of the coaching staff for the U.S. established. Converse netted a dual meet record of 12-35 Long Distance swimming team at the Pan Pacific while in Las Cruces. Championships. Before his college coaching career began, Converse was The following year, he was the head coach for the the assistant coach of the Cincinnati Pepsi Marlin Swim Athletes in Action summer project which produced five Team. In 1984, he guided the Mid-American swim team in finalists at the U.S. Nationals in Mission Viejo, Calif. Topeka, Kansas, and from 1981-84, he served as Mid- America's head age group coach. He was also an NCAA Y.E.S. (Youth Education through Sports) guest clinician in 1993 and 1999. His coaching career began in 1980 in San Antonio, Texas, as he was the Metropolitan YMCA's head master's A native of Topeka, Kansas., Converse graduated from Mission Viejo High School in 1976 and went on to attend the University of Alabama. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Washburn University (KS) in 1984. Few college coaches, in any sport, can match Converse's own athletic career accomplishments. A distance freestyle specialist, Converse swam on the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team as an 18-year old, placing ninth in the 400 freestyle. At Alabama, Converse burst onto the national scene as he not only won the national title in the 1,650-free his freshman year but also set an American record and became the first man to break the 15-minute mark in the event (14:57.39).