Donn Boyd
Donn Boyd is a native Texan born in Austin in 1947 and is a lifetime contributor to aquatics in the state. He is a founding director of the Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame. He graduated from Killeen High School and was a member of the Texas A&M Aggie swimming and water polo teams. After graduating, Donn served as an assistant coach for TSDHOF inductee Art Adamson… [Full Bio, Videos, Photos]
Colleen Lanné Cox
Colleen Lanné Cox was raised in Tucson, Arizona, and attended the University of Texas from 1998 to 2001. She was a four-time NCAA champion, held American and US Open records in the 100 free and won individual NCAA titles in the 50 and 100 free. During her time at Texas, she was a 22-time all-American and two-time Big 12 Swimmer of the Year… [Full Bio, Videos, Photos]
Richard Sybesma
Richard Sybesma grew up in the West Texas town of Andrews, where he was a two-time Texas state high school swimming qualifier in 1970-71. Richard swam for Texas Tech University from 1971-75 and was elected co-captain his junior and senior years. During those years he received the Team Spirit and Leadership Awards. His first coaching job brought him to Monahans, Texas, where a new indoor pool was just completed. The club and high school teams excelled, winning three 3A-and-under state titles. Richard was hired in 1979 as the head swim coach at TCU and held that position for 38 years, becoming the longest tenured head coach in school history… [Full Bio, Videos, Photos]
John Webb
John Webb grew up in New Albany, Indiana, where he was the 100-yard freestyle state champion during his senior year at New Albany High School. He accepted a swimming scholarship to Indiana State University and was a NAIA and NCAA (college division) all-American. When he graduated, he held seven ISU swimming records. John began coaching at Central High School in South Bend, Indiana, where he developed another state swimming record holder in the 50 freestyle. John then started a new swimming program at Decatur High School in Indianapolis and after two years there, became a graduate assistant at Indiana University, where he had the opportunity to study under the legendary Coach “Doc” Counsilman… [Full Bio, Videos, Photos]
Lifetime Achievement Award:
Janet Gabriel
Janet Gabriel is an accomplished diver from Indiana, where she trained under legendary Indiana University diving coach Hobie Billingsley. Janet had numerous diving achievements collegiately and internationally before starting her career as a diving and gymnastics coach with Pauline Barr at Hockaday School in Dallas. When the Texas Swimming Center (TSC) was completed, Janet was hired to coach the Longhorn Aquatics Age Group Diving Club from 1977-1986. She coached many champion divers there including Jason Rhodes and Sherrie Wiggington. She coached her age group team to 10 Texas Age Group State Team Championships and was voted Texas Age Group Coach of the Year in 1986. During the Olympic Trials, which were held at the TSC in 1980, Janet filmed divers entries both above and below water for her master’s thesis, which was titled Biomechanical Analysis of the Rip Entry in Competitive Entry. Over the decades, Janet wrote a multitude of essays, research reports, articles, manuals and scientific studies all to further the sport of diving. She worked on two post-1996 Olympics projects, the Technoscience Seminar for Coaches (1997) and Behavior Modeling facilitator training. She was the project director for the Biomechanics of Competitive Diving, authored by Doris I Miller, Ph.D., and from 2003-08 Janet was an independent contractor for USA Diving. Janet served on the Performance Enhancement Team (PET) under USA Diving’s High-Performance Director, Ron O’Brien and worked with the PET bio mechanists to video tape and analyze athletes’ performances in preparation for the Olympic Games. Janet was presented with an Olympic ring in appreciation for her accuracy in predicting spot-on the Olympic Medal winning point totals. She has been the head diving coach at the Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale since 2008. Janet has one daughter, Maya Carroll, a graduate of the Pine Crest School, Florida State University-BFA-Graphic Design, and FAU-MS -Information Technology. Her work continues to be referenced to this very day, and her contributions to Texas diving will be everlasting.
Wally Pryor Distinguished Team Award:
Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club (FLEET)
It all began in 1975, when a pilot program was initiated using the Bleyl Junior High School facilities for training. This pilot program was well accepted, but the school district’s rapid growth made it impossible to conduct a twelve-month program. The district then conducted a survey of swim programs in other areas and decided to make available the school’s facilities to a parent group; this parent group would continue to be responsible for establishing and maintaining a year-round program. The first group was formed in January 1976 under the name “Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club.”
Team practices commenced in February of 1976 and the first permanent coach was hired in April. In July the club was accepted for membership in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the predecessor of USA Swimming. In the spring of 1977, a full-time assistant coach was hired - all of which was indicative of the “FLEET’S” immediate growth and success.
In 1986 Clayton Cagle was hired as FLEET’s head coach. The program slowly began to attract talent, but the biggest jump came in 1988, when both Jeremy McDonnall (who went on to become a 13-time all-American at the University of Tennessee) and Andrew Livingston (a 2-time Olympian) joined the team. Two club members have since been inducted into the TSDHOF; Jamie Rauch (18-time all-American at Texas and silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics) and Cammille Adams (2-time Olympian in 2012 and team captain in 2016). Other notable swimmers through the years include Dave Durden (Current University of California Coach), Leslie Lunsmann, Joe Montague, Julie Galloway, Neil Caskey, Charlie Moore, Cole Cragin, James Galloway and Thomas Bishop.
Today, in addition to the full-time head coach and the head age group coach, there are several other coaches who contribute to the “FLEET’S” success. In June of 1999, the Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club proudly announced the opening of its own 50-meter facility in Northwest Houston, now the focal point of our program. The club continued its expansion in 2001 with the construction of the FLEET First learn-to-swim facility on the Spring Cypress Road property. The club opened a 4,700 square foot office and locker room facility in 2005 to further meet the club’s needs. Then, in 2007, FLEET opened a new indoor, heated learn-to-swim facility called the FLEET FIRST Aquatic Center. FLEET continued its expansion in 2009, opening the 8,000 square foot dry-land training facility on the property.
As a member of Gulf Swimming and a USA Swimming Bronze Medal Club, the goal of Cy-Fair Swim Club is to provide every member an opportunity to improve their swimming skills and achieve success at his or her level of ability, from novice to international competitor. All coaches, as members of the American Swim Coaches Association, have access to the most comprehensive training and certification program for youth coaches of any sport in the United States.
