Get Ready London, Here Come the Longhorns

If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it does it make a sound? This rudimentary philosophical question can be applied to men's UT Longhorn swimming. If a team wins ten national championships in a sport no one really cares about, does it matter?

Yes, especially if it's an Olympic year.

Since 1981 Coach Eddie Reese has led the men's team to ten national championships and five second place finishes. In the past five years the Longhorns have won once and finished second four times. This is arguably the most successful collegiate program in the nation, yet no one except for a few niche followers seem to notice. But they should.

Quietly Coach Reese is once again sending his swimmers to the Olympic Trials in large numbers. Longhorn Aquatics is sending a total of 37 swimmers to Trials. Coach Reese knows what it takes to train an Olympian as he was the men's Olympic Coach in 2004 and 2008 and an assistant in 1992, 1996, and 2000.

So with Olympic Trials only a few weeks away it is a good time to look at the Horns who have the best chance of representing the U.S. in London. And since UT baseball failed to make Regionals for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the Earth there isn't much for Texas fans to root for right now anyway—unless you follow golf, in which case, congratulations are in order for the 2012 National Champion Longhorns.

Garret Weber-Gale

Garret Weber-Gale swam for UT from 2003-2007 during which time he was the 2006 national champion in the 100 yard freestyle. He now trains in Austin under Reese with Longhorn Aquatics.

He competed in both the 50m and 100m free in 2008 in Beijing but failed to medal. But he was part of the 4x100m free relay that won gold and has been called the best free relay in history.

He stands a good chance of hitting the podium in London as part of a relay and in individual events. He is currently ranked fourth in the US in both the 50 and 100.

Brendan Hansen

Brendan Hansen is a four time Olympic medalist and has held the world record for the 100 and 200m breaststroke. He goes into the Olympic Trials ranked first in the 100 and second in the 200. His best chance for an individual medal will be in the 100m where he is currently ranked in the top 10 in the world.

But he will probably represent the U.S. in London in both events.

Pushing Hansen will be former Longhorn and cancer survivor Eric Shanteau who is currently ranked fifth in the nation in the 100 and first in the 200, and current Longhorn Eric Friedland who is ranked ninth in the 200.

Jimmy Feigen

In addition to well-established sprinters like Weber-Gale, the Longhorns bring a strong contingent in the shorter distance freestyle events.

Jimmy Feigen just beat Michael Phelps in the 100 free at the Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite on June 1st.

Feigen has a good shot at making the 4x100 relay in London if not also the individual 100.

Feigen takes the third fastest qualifying time into the Trials in the 50 free which is his best chance of making the Olympics in an individual event. His seed time is .06 seconds behind Cullen Jones who he would have to overtake.

Dax Hill

Dax Hill is going into Trials ranked eighth in the nation, one spot behind fellow Longhorn Dave Walters and four spots behind former Longhorn Ricky Berens.

Hill is coming off a first place finish at the Longhorns Aquatics Invite where he beat fellow Longhorn Clay Youngquist who has qualified for Trials in the 200 as well. Both Hill and Youngquist are young swimmers and will more than likely have an impact on the swimming world for years to come.