The Dallas Mustangs had three current or former members qualify for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The swimmers were current member Martina Moravcova representing Slovakia and former DM members Lars Frolander of Sweden and Rania Elwani of Egypt.

Martina and Lars did themselves, their countries and the Dallas Mustangs proud by bringing home medals from the Olympics. Martina won Silver medals in the 100M Fly and the 200M Free. Lars won a Gold medal in the 100M Fly.

The Dallas Mustangs sent a record number of seventeen swimmers to the US Olympic Trials August 9-16 in Indianapolis. This was one of the largest contingents of swimmers to qualify for the Trials not only from Texas but the entire nation. Provided below are excerpts from a Dallas Morning News article about the team that appeared prior to the trials.

The Mustangs have sent swimmers to the Trials and Olympics in the past including 1996 Gold Medal Winner Ryan Berube, a 1996 SMU grad, who won a Gold in Atlanta as a member of the 800 Freestyle Relay. "The Mustangs draw swimmers from all over Dallas and these swimmers have done an incredible job of making the commitment to qualify in this most competitive sport. The US team is always a top contender for medals," stated Mark ("Mook") Rhodenbaugh, Head Coach of the Dallas Mustangs.

Several swimmers have graduated college and continue to train with the Mustangs while working full time. Katie McClelland, a 1999 SMU grad from Duncanville and a Dallas Mustang swimmer as a youngster is given a strong shot at making the team and has been focused on the 2000 Sydney Games since her graduation. "When I graduated from SMU I had to make the big decision to keep training which I knew involved an incredible commitment. The Mustangs offered me the opportunity to have the ability to work in my profession (marketing) and also train. This means a great deal to me," said Katie. Ed Wagner, another strong contender, is a 1993 graduate of Harvard and works in the Internet industry in Dallas.

Some of our qualifiers after a morning workout

The Mustang's Olympic qualifiers have a distinctly SMU flavor in addition to Katie, with the O'Keefe brothers and Suzanne Black also having received SMU degrees. There are also a number who currently are in school. Andrew Priest attends Western Kentucky while a large group -- Andrea Stouder, Katherine Inskeep, Steve Barnes, Steve Kemmerling, Brandon Jernigan, Bart Wikkard, Rob Harrison, R.D. Trinidad, Billy Coleman and Tim Carlson currently attend SMU.

"The greater Dallas community should be very proud of what these individuals have achieved. They reflect the quality state of swimming in Dallas and a major individual commitment which is made easier by having a team to train with all who have the same goal -- Sydney," concluded Mook Rhodenbaugh.