Eight members of the Kansas University doomed men’s swimming and diving team will take their talents elsewhere next year.
Head coach Doug Dickinson on Monday said six freshman and two sophomores are in various stages of accepting scholarship offers from other universities.
Eight swim team members are planning to leave KU to pursue their athletic careers. Where they’re headed:FreshmenDustin Chalfant, Topeka, University of Minnesota.Anthony DiGiacco, Farmington, N.M., leaning toward University of Minnesota.Everett DeHaven, Salina, University of Evansville, Indiana.Kyle Ediger, Junction City, Western Kentucky University.Mitch Loper, Houston, deciding between Texas Christian University and University of Texas.Chris Musfeldt, Gladstone, Mo., choosing betweenUniversity of Iowa and University of Missouri.SophomoresJeremy Howard, Southbury, Conn., considering University of New Hampshire, University of Virginia and Villanova University.Jason Hubbard, Highlands Ranch, Colo., University of Wyoming.
KU athletics director Bob Frederick in March announced plans to drop men’s swimming and diving and tennis teams at the end of the current school year. The cuts, he said, were prompted by significant shortfalls $3.6 million over the next five years in the athletics department’s budget.
Former swim team members’ protests and fund-raising offers have failed, so far, to reverse the decision.
“It was really hard getting cut,” said Dustin Chalfant, Topeka freshman. “It was like breaking up a family.”
KU will honor its scholarship commitments to the 13 swimmers four freshmen, six sophomores and three juniors who plan on continuing their studies at KU.
Upholding the scholarships is not as generous as it may appear, Chalfant said.
“A lot of the guys see it as sort of an insult, a slap in the face,” he said. “It’s they’re saying ‘Here, we’ll cut your program but we’ll keep you on scholarship, and that’ll make it all better.'”
But there’s nothing ‘better’ about being cut off from your sport, Chalfant said.
“I know KU is the best school for me, and I love it here,” he said. “But no matter how much I like it here, I can’t quit swimming. I figure I can get my education some place else, but I can’t quit swimming.”
Chalfant has accepted a swimming scholarship at the University of Minnesota.
Four swimmers graduate this year.
Dickinson said he’s “still disappointed” in the decision to drop men’s swimming.
“That hasn’t changed,” he said, “but I do understand the financial situation and I know they tried to look at some other options.”
Soon after Frederick announced KU’s decision to drop men’s swimming, Nebraska and Iowa State universities made similar announcements.
These decisions, Dickinson said, do not bode well for the U.S. swimmers’ abilities to compete internationally.
“If we keep dropping collegiate swimming programs like we are now, we’re going to just get pounded in the Olympics,” he said. “It’ll probably take 10 or 12 years, but it will happen.”
Dickinson said he was looking for employment opportunities in the Kansas City area.
Russ Ormiston, a sports information assistant at KU, said five members of the tennis team appeared to be leaving; three are likely to stay.
“Those are rough numbers,” he said. “They could change.”