Coming into the 2020-21 season, the Houston swimming and diving team knew everyone was gunning for them because of recent successes.
The Cougars had won four straight American Athletic Conference titles, putting a huge target on their back. So head coach Ryan Wochomurka and his staff made it their mission to emphasize one thing consistently.
“One of the things we talk about consistently is we’re not defending anything,” Wochomurka told The Cougar over Zoom. “The 2020-21 team had not won a championship, so there’s nothing to defend. I think that, in a small way, helps to alleviate the pressure to put a weight on anybody’s shoulders that they have to win this or they have to do that.