1970-1982 Coach Patterson, Wood, Bergen
Prior to Coach Patterson, in 1971, Coach Marilyn Ramenofsky coached the women’s swim team to the state title beating favored Texas Tech.
Marilyn comments for TLSN, “Hello I just saw the photo described above and was so delighted. That was the team that took the State Title away from TT, much to all of our joy. The women were great to work with, such dedicated swimmers and a diver, and so appreciative of the coaching. I loved it. Would you have a copy of the photo with names that I could have for my scrapbook of memories of those days in Austin? I’d love to have one, and thanks for finding the photo and posting it; means so much.” Marilyn Ramenofsky
This photo was taken after the women won the state titles. As a celebration Coach Ramenofsky was thrown in the pool and she is soaking wet.
Coach Patterson
Texas women’s Swimming team coach
1972 – 1979 Coach Melvin “Pat Patterson- The Journey to an exciting Destiny Begins.
Click on https://www.texaslsn.org/patterson for the History of Longhorn men’s swimming under Coach Patterson .
1971 – 1979 Coach Melvin “Pat” Patterson
Pat Patterson was U.T.’s first women’s official Sports Coach. Several coed swimmers asked U.T. President Lorene Rogers if they could have a team under title Nine. Women’s P.E. Director Betty Thompson asked Pat if he would coach them at Gregory for a start during the 1973 fall semester.
Coach Patterson says “I don’t know if the women’s swimming organization before NCAA kept records or not but we took teams to the Nationals. I felt I was being pulled in two directions.”
The Longhorn swimming team began in the small confines of the 25 yard Gregory Gym pool. Initially, there was no recruiting or scholarships for women swimming athletes. Swimmers and divers made the team by participating in Open try-outs in September.
In the early 1970’s women’s sports passion to coach superseded the passion for money. Coach Patterson says few got paid, but most were volunteers”. Tommy Tate was a volunteer coach. Mike Brown diving coach was a volunteer at first. Coach Royal told me that the swimming payroll cost big bucks when he had a head coach and Asst coaches to pay men and women and diving plus people to run the swim center.”
Top songs 1971
Below is the link to Coach Patterson’s induction into the Swimming Hall of Fame.
http://www.tsdhof.org/melvin-pat-patterson
Mike Sorrells served as an assistant coach under Pat Patterson at the University of Texas from 1971-1972. Coach Sorrells was the driving force to separate the state meet into 5A and 4A-and-under divisions, giving more athletes the chance to compete at the highest level. He was voted TISCA Coach of the year in 2001. Over the course of his career he coached more than 40 individual and relay state champions and sent five of his swimmers to the Olympics.
The women’s swimming years 1971- 1975 are covered under “Women’s sports 1886-1977. https://www.texaslsn.org/1896-1921
1973 Coach Patterson pending info
front- Micaela Brown, Usher, Bevil, Jackson, Hodges, Robertson, Freeland, second row Elfenbein, Welch, Levine, Dorgan, Boggs, Brunner, Reinbach, third row- Logan, Thornhill
1973-1974 Coach Patterson pending info
1974-1975 – Coach Patterson and Bell – pending info
Dr Keith Bell graduate student -volunteer coach who became a famous author of swimming books – swam for Kenyon College
The Horns finished first at the TAIAW state Championship setting 8 records in 14 events and first and third in diving. Six members qualified for the AIAW national championship meet.
Coach Patterson said “Keith Bell was working on Doctors degree and had been a famous college swimmer. I was on his committee Saw a chance for help and asked him to coach the girls. Gregory Gym pool was 6 lanes. Three for girls and three for the men. We pretty much stopped the tryouts and limited the team numbers. Very few colleges had women teams so early swimming was very limited.
1975-1976 – Coach Patterson pending Info
All but one of the members of the 1974-1975 team returned the next year.
1976 swimming relay champions Kim Peyton, Wendy Boglioli, Jill Sterkel, Shirley Babashoff
1976 – 1977 Coach Patterson pending info
1976- Beery Boggs finishes 6th, 7th, and 10th at 3 different events at TAIAW nationals. Micaela Brown places 8th in the AIAW National meet in the 3-meter dive.
1977-1978 Coach Ray Woods
Swimmers adjusted quickly to new head swim coach Ray Woods’s coaching style.
The 1978 team competed internationally in Mexico. Individual school and conference records were set by Julie Gray, Lisa Kelsey, Ann Giardeau, Marilyn Fulbright, and Diane Walker.
1979-1981 Coach Paul Bergen recruits and develops 2 Longhorn National Champions
Coach Paul Bergen has a short tenure at Texas but it is long on success.
At the AIAW national championship, the Horns place 4th.
Coach Paul Bergen is responsible for recruiting and developing 2 Longhorn Collegiate Championship teams. Some of the swimmers he coaches include Alice Jones, Deana Deardurff, Jenny Kemp, Joan Pennington, Jill Sterkel, Kim Linehan, and Tracy Caulkins.
Paul is the first swimming coach to apply the training methods used on racehorses to swimming. He serves on the USA coaching staff for the World Championships in 1975, 1978, and 1982, and with Canada in 1986. He is an Olympic coach in 1980, 1984, 1988, and 2000.
Dian Girard wins the National Championship in the 400 IM.
All American 14 times.
Joan Pennington wins the National Championship in the 100 fly and the 100 IM in 1979 and 1980, , the 50 fly in 1979, and the 200IM in 1979.
All American 26 times
Joan Pennington won the Broderick Award as the best college swimmer in 1979. She was the high point scorer winning 4 events and setting two American records at the AIAW national championship meet.
1979 Texas women lit the tower orange. Led by Joan Pennington who won 5 events, Dian Girard with 4 the Longhorns beat Houston for the state titled.
Joan Pennington wins 5 events in the TAIAW state meet and at the National meet, she is the high scorer.
Team finish’s 4 at the national meet.
Coach Bergen’s Olympians who represented The USA
Looking for better quality photos.
Kim Linehan won the National Championship in the 500 in 1981 and 1982 – 1650 free in 1981 and 1982 – the 200 fly in 1981 and 1982. She was a member of the Olympic team in 1980 and 1984. All American 20 times (looking for a better quality photo.)
1980- Coach Paul Bergen’s team FINISHES 2nd in the Nation
1980 Texas finished 2nd to Stanford by 6 points. It was a bitter pill for Bergen to swallow.
Longhorns have 6 swimmers with 9 of the nation’s top times but Texas falls to Stanford for the national championship in the AIAW. Horn swimmers set 8 individual school records and 4 relay records.
The lady Horns manage to defeat Perennial national power Arizona State, win the TAIAW, and finish within 6 points of the National Championship
1981- Coach Paul Bergen’s Team wins the National Championship
Coach Bergen Is recognized as National Coach Of The Year 1981
1981- Team wins the National Championship . The top swimmer in the nation was Kim Linehan who set the world record in the 800 freestyle. Pennington burned out this year and announced her retirement. Texas handed Florida its first home dual loss ever and the followed that by defeating Stanford and Arizona State. Sterkel set two American records and won all five individual events she entered.
Carol Borgmann wins the National Championship in the 100 IM in 1981 and the 100 IM and 200IM in 1982. All American 18 times
Kim Black is National Champion in the 1650 free. All American 4 times
1982- Coach Paul Bergen’s Team wins the National Championship
1982 – Texas wins the 2nd consecutive national title . Unfortunately 8 of the top 10 teams chose to participate in the first NCAA championship . In fact Texas won the AIAW Championship and Florida won the NCAA national championships. The AIAW exited the stage and folded after the 1982 season
