I came across an article about a former University of Richmond swimmer and about how the U or R swim program wasn’t a great fit for her, but despite that she was able to come back to win a national title.
I wasn’t sure If I wanted to post the article, because it is not very flattering of former University of Richmond swim coach, Matt Kredich, who is also my former swim coach, and a friend. But, for the sake of telling two sides of the story, I am posting it.

Michelle Coombs, the swimmer, featured in the story, obviously has bad memories of her time swimming for U of R. She even recalled her coach as Mark Kredich, instead of Matt Kredich (or perhaps the reporter made this error). Coombs, was burned out, and needed a break from swimming. It was obvious she was unhappy in the swim program at U of R.

“I was just miserable overall and it really did show,” she said. “It was not much in my swimming but I would come to practice miserable and not happy. One day, coach pulled me into the office and said I was being a cancer to the team. It was hard to hear. I could see it, but I wasn’t enjoying swimming at that point.”

Coombs said she withdrew into herself and started to feel isolated from the rest of the team. “I didn’t feel a lot of support from my teammates,” she said.

I’d like to say that while I’ve never been a collegiate swimmer under Matt Kredich, I did train under him and found him to be an amazingly inspirational coach. In fact, I can easily state his is the best and most patient swim coach I’ve ever had.

Having trained for a Half Ironman 70.3 last year (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) and as I am currently training for the 4.4 mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim – both events that require many workouts longer than 4 hours and often training 12-14 hours a week. I can say that unless you are taking care of your body, sleeping right, eating right and coming to practice in the right frame of mind, there is no way you can make your body perform, even if you are not fighting an illness. I have no doubt that it was a tough situation for both parties involved, but If Matt called her a cancer to the team, her heart wasn’t in it and didn’t feel like she was part of the team, it was likely true.

I love comeback storeis, and I’m happy that Coombs was able to find a coaching program that worked for her and helped her to a national title, but I wish she hadn’t tarnished the name of such a great coach in the process of telling her story.

As a triathlete myself, I guess I have a more personal interest and excitement in announcing that Richmond will host the 2008 National Duathlon Festival. This downtown Richmond hosted the 2007 McDonald’s ITU Duathlon Long Course World Championships in October, but this newly announce April event will bring even more athletes from all parts of the country to our beautiful city.
These are athletes who will come and spend lots of money here and then go home and tell their friends what a great place Richmond is. It is just the sort of thing we need. One of the best parts of all is that in addition to the regular National Championships, there will also be Junior National Championships (think kids and their families) and Duathlon Off-Road Championships showcasing our beautiful and unique urban off road bike and run trails. The festival will also occur here for 2009 and 2010. Richmond really has an oportunity to make a huge impression on these athletes and showcase what a great city we are.

Online registration for the 2008 National Duathlon Festival is now open at www.duathlonnationals.com

Pros, age groups, youth/junior, age group participants will all be running and biking along much of the same course that made the 2007 McDonald’s ITU Duathlon Long Course World Championships such a rousing success. The National Duathlon Festival also marks the first time that the USAT Duathlon National Championships and the Off-Road Duathlon Championships will be combined on the same weekend.

The same start, finish and transition area as the World Championships will be used and a closed bike course very similar to the World Championship course will be challenging and technical but easy enough for the citizens races. The downtown Richmond location allows for a proven off-road duathlon location, having hosted the past eight XTERRA East Coast Championships at this site. The location is also easy walking distance from downtown hotels, restaurants and parking.

The schedule (and event distances) for the National Duathlon Festival are as follows:
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Off-Road Duathlon Championships (10k run, 30k bike, 5k run)
Off-Road Duathlon Junior Race (5k run, 10k bike, 2.5k run)
Off-Road Youth Race (1k run, 4k bike, 1k run)
Off-Road Duathlon Sport Race (5k run, 10k bike, 2.5k run)
Sunday, April 27, 2008
USAT Duathlon National Championships (10k run, 40k bike, 5k run)
USAT Duathlon Junior National Championships (5k run, 20k bike, 2.5k run)
USAT Duathlon Youth National Championships (1k run, 5k bike, 1k run)
Duathlon Sport Race (5k run, 20k bike, 2.5k run)
Sports Backers is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization founded in October 1991 to build a more vibrant community through sports. The mission of the organization is to maximize the community benefits of sports tourism in the region by:
Creating, attracting and improving significant sporting events,
Serving as a resource in the development and utilization of sports facilities and
Aiding area youth through sports outreach programs.
These activities and programs strengthen the economy, provide health benefits to participants and make the region a more desirable place to live.

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Kudos to Henrico County Public Schools for incorporating heart rate monitors into physical education classes to help better educate students about how exercising affects their body — all in an effort to fight childhood obesity.
And kudos to state legislators, the Richmond Sports Backers, and Henrico Schools for finding new ways to fight children’s obesity and making it a priority.

The students love it, said Bonnie Conner-Gray, an educational specialist for health, physical and driver education for Henrico County Public Schools, describing the program to members of a legislative panel studying ways to reduce childhood obesity.

What works to reduce childhood obesity is getting the attention of Virginia legislators and others.

The study panel that Conner-Gray testified before this year is expected to propose several policy changes, including one that would require schoolchildren to get 150 minutes of physical education per week.

Childhood obesity is also the focus of a Tuesday conference coordinated by Richmond Sports Backers, the group that organizes popular races such as the SunTrust Richmond Marathon.

“I don’t think anything is more important than the physical activity,” said Del. John M. O’Bannon III, R-Henrico, who chaired the study panel that will submit recommendations to the General Assembly.

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In Richmond City Schools, my daughter gets P.E. once a week. This is not enough — 150 minutes a week sounds more like it. Thank goodness her teacher knows how important exercise can be to learning and just overall health in a child. She has her students run or run-walk the gravel track at the school about 4 days a week.

University of Richmond has a great women’s swimming program. I know firsthand. From 2002-2004, I swim for their head coach, Matt Kredich, as part of the Triathlonmoms team his wife ran. Since then, the pool has been revamped and the coaches have changed, but the heart of the program is the same.
The Bridgeton (N.J.) News reports this week that they’ve gained another great swimmer, Jill Smaniotto.

“They have a girl that going in as freshman swam 57 (seconds) in the 100 fly and now as a junior she is doing 53 (seconds),” she said. “In a year and a half she dropped four seconds. Their style of training is just phenomenal.”

That style features a more personal approach that focuses on what each swimmer’s heart rate should be at different intervals. It is a new, more scientific, approach that Smaniotto said is starting to get notice from other schools.

According to an article from the Times-Dispatch, the University of Richmond has gained Harry Lee Daniel, a Highland Springs senior, via a verbal commitment.

Daniel was a key offensive element for the Springers, who were 10-0 in the regular season. Highland Springs was No. 1 in The Times-Dispatch Poll and was ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll before being eliminated by Hermitage 21-20 in the Central Region playoffs.

Here’s the latest University of Richmond Spiders Sports update from Bob Black:

Gonzalvez Shoots Spiders Past Tribe
On the strength of a career-high seven three-pointers, sophomore David Gonzalvez poured in 21 points to lead Richmond’s 58-55 comeback win over William & Mary Wednesday night at the Robins Center. The Spiders posted their first home win, have won two of their last three and are back to .500 on the season.

Spider Football: Playoff Game, Ticket & TV Information
Tickets for Saturday’s football playoff game at Wofford (7 p.m. ET) are $20 for adults, $10 for youths (12 and under) and $10 for University of Richmond students with valid I.D. Tickets can be purchased at the Robins Center Ticket Office or by calling 1-877-SPIDER-1. Orders must be placed by Thursday at 5 p.m. ET. Tickets may also be purchased through the Wofford ticket office as available until game time. No online orders will be accepted. The telecast will be available in the Richmond area on WUPV-TV Channel 65 (Channel 13 on Comcast Cable). It is available for out-of-marketing viewing as part of the pay-per-view subscription ESPN Gameplan package. FOOTBALL TICKETS | ESPN GAMEPLAN INFO

Read more >

At the annual archrival game between St. Christopher’s & Collegiate Schools last Saturday, a record-breaking total of 10,274 pounds of food was raised for the Central Virginia Food Bank.

Together with the help of St. Catherine’s School, the schools’ joint venture is current the number one giver for non-corporations this year. The closest competitor was a government agency at 6.594 pounds. The schools tripled the number of pounds ever brought in by a school.

A Food Bank representative reported the organization as being “ecstatic.” It took 2 trucks to get all of the food to the warehouse.

Congrats on your success, St. C and Collegiate!!

St. Christopher’s and the Collegiate School square off tomorrow at St. Christopher’s football field tomorrow (Saturday, November 3rd) for the popular long-standing game between the two rivals.

In addition, the two schools are working together to raise food for the Central Virginia Foodback. Spectators are encouraged to bring canned items to fill the 220 brown paper bags at the game.

“We just thought this would be a good cause and something we could easily collaborate on,” said Pierre Molster, president of St. Christopher’s Student Council.

“We do a lot of canned-food drives at Collegiate, but we thought this would be a good way to bring a lot more cans in,” said Melissa Trask, co-leader of the Collegiate Community Council.

The Times-Dispatch reports:

Fans from both private schools will pile canned goods into containers placed in front of the bleachers. Each school was supplied with 500 commemorative brown paper bags, donated by the Bank of Goochland, with the fleur-de-lis and paw print logos of the Saints and the Cougars.

Bob Black of the University of Richmond Athletics Department sent us the following release of a new fund established in the name of Dan Woolley, ‘05:

The University of Richmond community was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Daniel “Dan” Woolley `05. The thoughts of many at the University of Richmond community are with Dan’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Dan was such a remarkable, inspiring and encouraging person to be around. Although short in stature, Dan stood tall as an integral part of the men’s basketball program. He served as team manager from 2002-05 and was an inspiration for the University of Richmond community.

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Here’s the latest University of Richmond Spiders Sports update from Bob Black:

Gameday Central: #18 Richmond vs. Rhode Island
No. 18 Richmond is back in the friendly confines of UR Stadium Saturday versus Rhode Island where it is 2-0 this season and averaging 43.5 points per game. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. It’s Ukrop’s 2-for-1 Day! Use your UVC Card of First Market Bank MarketShare Card and receive two tickets for the price of one!

Men’s Soccer Heads To Philly To Play Temple And Saint Joseph’s
The men’s soccer team will look to get back on track when the Spiders head to Philadelphia this weekend to take on Temple Friday and Saint Joseph’s Sunday.

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