By: Victoria White

    Hosting the Horned Frogs at 6 p.m. today at the Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium, the Mustangs expect a rowdy atmosphere.

    "The TCU rivalry meet is honestly everything to us," junior breaststroke/IM swimmer Nathan Ciatti said. "There's always a big crowd. We're looking for our first home win in the new pool here, and we have such a great alumni base that everyone will be back for Homecoming. There were over 1000 people here last year for our Homecoming meet, and we'll expect a big crowd again this week."

    Back to back years, the men have triumphed over TCU in Fort Worth with two wins for SMU, including a 184-114 victory last season.
    Junior sprint freestyle/butterfly swimmer Ralph Koo said that the feeling of defeating TCU was like no other.

    "It's just an amazing feeling, and we finally get to host them in our new facility," Koo said. "Beating them here, with an audience, that would be just something else. I don't think I can describe it myself really. But for the past two years, it was amazing. We all came out really confident from it after the meet, and we just hit our next meets really well."

    While the all-time record in men's swimming between the two teams stands at 28-3-1, Ciatti remembers his freshman year when SMU won as especially exciting and significant for the team.
 
    "SMU had won year after year for two and a half decades, for 25 years I believe, until the old pool got knocked down," Ciatti said. "And so, seeing my freshman year two years ago, the upperclassmen finally get their first win against TCU in their career was awesome. The seniors had never won. They were 0-3 against TCU and then, finally they got to win. And we've won the last two years now since then, so we want to continue to keep going."

    A native of Frisco, Texas, he said competing against familiar faces is one great aspect of the meet.

    "It's always a hard fought meet for sure," Ciatti said. "TCU and SMU, we recruit the same guys every year, so seeing a lot of familiar faces, especially coming from Texas myself is always exciting. It's always close. It usually will come down to the final relays. It's always really exciting for us, but overall it's pretty evenly matched. They're the closest Division 1 swim program to us in the region, so it's exciting to get to race them every year."

    As the women's team readies to face the Iowa State Cyclones and TCU Horned Frogs, senior freestyle swimmer Casey Rose, who hails from nearby Southlake, Texas, said she is excited to face TCU for the first time.
 

    "We actually have never gotten to race TCU's swim team, the women," Rose said. "The men have and we've always gone and supported them at that. It's always a really rowdy atmosphere. It's a lot of fun just being up the highway from them. But, all the girls, especially the seniors, are really excited to race TCU because we've never gotten to in the four years that we've been here so it's going to be really fun, especially getting to host them."

    Aside from the added adrenaline and electric atmosphere of a big meet, the team has a few extra activities in order.

    "For Homecoming week, we usually have a swimming team Boulevard party with all the parents," Rose said. "That usually gets everyone pretty excited. That'll be after the meet though, but that definitely wraps up our team spirit."

    Some other general pre-meet traditions are fun for the team, as well.

    "Last week, we had a team dinner at Coach Collins' house, and that is really fun and brings the team together to unite for a big meet like this meet," Rose said. "We also draw a name of someone else on the team and you get them a little present just to get them hyped up for the meet. That's my favorite."
 

    While the meet is still fun and friendly, there is an unmatched intensity that SMU brings to competition.

    "We still maintain a friendly environment, but definitely, like, there's no mercy at all," Koo said. "There is a strong rivalry, but there's also obviously sportsmanship and this sport that ties us together."

    Koo, who is from Hong Kong, said that while many members of the team are from various parts of the world, swimming unites them through a unique bond.

    "As to how we come together, a lot of us come from different countries all over the world so some might think that it's hard for us to bond," Koo said. "But swimmers, it's instant. Like I don't think that there's any other sport that's like swimming because were just so close all the time."

    Likewise, he said that one strength of the team is their closeness and trust.

    "We're a family. We have trust in each other," Koo said. "We have faith that each individual will deliver, each individual will do what needs to be done and we all work really hard. I've never seen work ethic like this in my life, and I mean it's just one big family."
 

    Sophomore breaststroke/IM/freestyle swimmer Andrea Podmanikova said it is a special feeling to be a part of the game day atmosphere. She, too, is looking forward to racing against TCU for the first time.

    "At conference or SMU Classic, it was just a few meets, but like the atmosphere was really, really cool and I had goosebumps," Podmanikova said. "So, I'm really excited about the next meet."

    Podmanikova, who has competed internationally for the Slovak National Team and been named best female swimmer of the Slovak Swimming Nation, said aside from the school's outstanding academics, she also chose to attend SMU because of head coach Steve Collins and SMU swimming great Martina Moravcova who is also from Slovakia.
    
    The best part of racing for the 2018 conference champion in the 200 breaststroke and 200 medley relay is the journey.
 

    "I would say the journey for it all together and just appreciate the experience to be a college swimmer in the USA," Podmanikova said. "It's always good to win and to be grateful for my team and being part of the team."

    Koo, who has also earned conference championships in the 200 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay in 2017 and numerous all-conference accolades through college, explained his favorite part of swimming.
 

    "My favorite part about this sport has to be racing. I might be biased to it just because I'm a sprinter, but like every time I get up in those blocks, it's definitely different from practice," Koo said. "It's something unique about this sport and having your teammates just cheer you on [from] the side. A lot of people think it's an individual sport. It really is a team sport you know. You need everyone on your team working towards the same goal. At the end of the day, we end up at conference with our team and we all have to score points."
 

    For Ciatti, too, it's the competitive drive.

    "My favorite part is always just competing," Ciatti said. "It's everything you [train for]. Swimming's one of the things in life that you get out what you put in, and that's always really exciting that at the end of the year you finally get to see what your hard work has done for you. The most difficult part is definitely the mental side of it. It's definitely you against the clock, but it's also you against your head and your mind is what controls everything at the end of the day."
 

    Yet sometimes, the most challenging parts can also be the most rewarding.

    "The most challenging part about this sport honestly, I would say is just the practices, I mean like the grind really," Koo said. "In the morning we've got to wake up early and get to it. Every day we have to put more than 100 percent effort into it, so it's just holding on. It's just that perseverance that is challenging. But those who do push through have gotten good results, and that's one of the best parts about swimming."
 

    With every meet, Ciatti is eager to build on the squad's success.

    "We have so many young guys this year," Ciatti said. "I want to say we have 11 newcomers which is almost half of the team. There's a lot of energy and it's really exciting for us. We're building something new in this new pool and the program's definitely getting better and is a whole lot deeper than in years past. I think at the end of the day, it's all about winning a conference title. We haven't done it in a few years and that's the end goal."

    The SMU women's swimming and diving team is also thrilled about the talent and diligence of the incoming freshmen.

    "Well, every year it's totally different because some people leave, some people come," Podmanikova said. "But, I'm really excited about the freshmen because they seem really cool and excited to work hard, so I think that they will really help the team, mentally and physically. I'm excited about the new people that are coming to our school."
 

    Rose agreed.
 

    "My favorite part of the squad right now is probably the freshman class. They are a great big class of a bunch of fast swimmers and the sweetest girls that we've had come in," Rose said. "My freshman year we won conference and we'd really like to get another ring for our senior year."