By Astrid Escobar on SwimSwam
TCU’s Janis Silins and Noah Cumby rewrote their own school records at the Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invitational (12/2 – 12/5/2020), hosted at the Lee & Joe Jamail Swimming Center
Silins improved his 100-yard breaststroke record to a time of 52.71, which earned him a third-place finish and an NCAA B cut in the event. Cumby shaved time off his original 100-yard freestyle record, swimming to a fourth-place finish with a time of 43.83.
Head Coach James Winchester, who took over the Horned Frogs swimming and diving program back in 2018, commented that both men represent success reaped through diligent effort.
“They are some of the hardest working athletes within our program. From day one [they] bought in, and it shows on the record board, it shows at practice, every single day.”
While Janis Silins and Noah Cumby are both established TCU record holders working hard to qualify for NCAAs, they are ultimately focused on the same long-term goal: competing at the Olympics. Sophomore Silins hails from the city of Valmiera and is a Latvian national record holder. Cumby, a junior from the city of St. John’s, is one of the top sprinters in Canada.
The two athletes share their coach’s drive to succeed. Head Coach James Winchester’s mentality when it comes to achieving greatness and overcoming obstacles can be boiled down to two words: ‘Why not?’
The University of Texas is a juggernaut in the competitive world of collegiate swimming and diving. The idea of building a program strong enough to go head to head in the conference home to Texas might be quickly written off and labeled unrealistic by some, but Winchester brushes off any skepticism with a good-natured smile. His healthy appreciation for the program Eddie Reese has built, coupled with an unassuming confidence in his coaching ability sets the stage for TCU to emerge as a diamond in the rough.
“A lot of respect has to go to Texas. It is a tremendous challenge, but, for me, I like challenges. I like being stimulated by things that may seem impossible. To accomplish something like that, you have to be a dreamer and go after it.”
For Texas to be challenged, Winchester believes it starts with winning a Big 12 title in an individual event (which TCU has only done twice: Cooper Robinson in 2013 and John Story in 2016) and moving on to putting together a winning relay. He aptly pointed out that there is also an onus on every team within the conference to continue to push competition to dethrone the Longhorns.
“If you can put some cracks in there, you can keep believing in that vision of “why not.”
From there, Winchester’s vision for success comes into clearer focus: qualifying athletes for NCAAs (individuals, relays, and divers), scoring, and becoming a team that consistently represents at the meet. He acknowledged that for as simple as the goals may sound, it’s not an easy undertaking. However, he remains confident in TCU’s ability to execute that vision.
“Part of our secret sauce of success involves actually following through on our vision which includes developing great people, all while swimming fast in the process. I have a great coaching staff – passionate and hard-working. We’re looking for a very specific type of person: the type of person who wants to be challenged and grow. We’re looking for great people, because if you bring great people together, you can have something special. Success stories like Yanis and Cumby are happening all over the program but to talk about the two of them being successful on their own would take away from the fact that they are surrounded by great teammates that are also working hard every day aspiring for greatness.”
Read the full story on SwimSwam: TCU Head Coach James Winchester Talks Climbing the Mountain in the Big 12
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