Arizona swimming back on right track
Evidence of Arizona’s recent decline as a swimming power is that just two Wildcats, Kevin Cordes and Margo Geer, are on Team USA at the ongoing world championships in Kazan, Russia. But that is likely to change. Second-year coach Rick DeMont, who is an assistant on the USA staff in Russia, will return to Tucson in time for school to greet the nation’s No. 3-ranked women’s recruiting class, and the No. 6-rated men’s recruiting group. DeMont landed the nation’s top swimmer in the breast stroke, Blair Bish of Arkansas, and the nation’s No. 2 backstroker, Taylor Garcia of Michigan. DeMont is experiencing an anniversary of sorts at the world championships. In 1973, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, DeMont was the first ever to break four minutes in the 400 freestyle (3:58.18). It was the first official world championships meet in history.
