TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — The University of Tampa Swim team is making a big splash. The men secured the school's first ever national championship title. The women's team cracked the top 10.
ABC Action News caught up with Head Coach Jimi Kiner to talk about the historic win for the school.
"We preach a lot about family on the swim team. And I know that's cliche, but it really is a family. You know, my head coach before me was here since 1979 And then I took over the program. Both of two of my assistant coaches are both UT alums," he said.
Like any family, the team is there for the easy times and the hard ones.
"It's not a sport where you play a game you know. When we practice, we train so you know, it's a lot of hard work. A lot of early mornings. A lot of afternoons. Every lap that they swam this year was definitely well worth it," he added.
Swimmer Santiago Corredor agrees that the win came from a lot of hard work.
"It was five days of work. We went into it with the right mindset and with a great group of guys. And we came out of the champions," he said.
On top of the team's big win, Santiago Corredor took first place in the 4 x 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle.
He sees these wins as history for UT and the city.
"I think Florida in general is goated when it comes to sports. Tampa especially if you look at the Lightning, the Bucs, you know the Rays. It's just a hub for great sports. So I think the next level for Tampa is D1 for sure. All the sports seem to be winning and being successful every year and I think that's a great step in the D1 direction," he said.
