Team chooses captains together

By By Kelly Reynolds

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Members of the KU swimming and diving team spent their postseason banquet reflecting on the 2004-2005 season but also looking toward the future of the program last Sunday.

Instead of dwelling on the fact that the team will lose six seniors, including co-captains Amy Gruber, Miranda Isaac and Becca Zarazan, the team has already started to work with the newly announced 2005-2006 team captains, Gina Gnatzig and Emily Rusch.

Gnatzig and Rusch were named captains by coach Clark Campbell at the banquet.

Gnatzig and Rusch are two of the next six incoming seniors. At a team meeting, the six seniors-to-be all expressed interest in serving as one of the captains for the 2005-2006 team.

Two juniors-to-be were also nominated during the team meeting. The team voted on slips of paper, and the results were not revealed Sunday.

Campbell expressed confidence in the new captains as well as the leadership abilities of all of the incoming seniors.

“Gina and Emily will be the liaisons between the team and coaching staff, but we’ll be looking to all six of the ‘05-‘06 seniors for leadership,” Campbell said. “The seniors on the team really set the tone for the year.”

Gnatzig agreed with her coach.

“It really was a toss-up,” Gnatzig said. “It’s an amazing feeling that your team wants you to represent them, but we really have six great leaders instead of just two captains.”

The ‘05- ‘06 seniors have already talked about some goals that the team has. Two goals include more communication and cohesion within the team, Gnatzig said.

“We have nine new freshmen and in-season will be much better if we understand common goals and what each person needs to do to work towards those goals,” Rusch said.

Both women have been members of the team for three years and have seen three sets of captains.

“Each year has been a different type of leadership,” Gnatzig said. “We’ve learned from all of them and we have an abundance of things to contribute.”

Gnatzig and Rusch are ready to take the job with open arms, Isaac said.

“I’m excited to work with Gina. We have common goals and temperaments,” Rusch said.

Gnatzig said that now is a great time for her and Rusch to gain more knowledge and responsibility in a leadership position.

“During my three years at KU, there’s always been someone to step up and be that leader,” Gnatzig said. “And now it’s my turn.

Freshman Terri Schramka has good feelings about Gnatzig and Rusch as team captains. She is proof that the team is falling into step with the new captains and their goals for next years team.

“They are going to do a great job,” Schramka said. “It is important for me to help achieve team goals.”

The focus of the Jayhawk swimming and diving team has already begun to shift to next season as Gnatzig and Rusch prepare to lead the Jayhawks to success.

“I cannot think of two girls who are better prepared to be leaders,” Isaac said. “I can walk away and know that the team is in good hands.”

Edited by Nikola Rowe

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