Daniel Watters

Last updated

Daniel Watters
Personal information
Full nameDaniel Linton Watters
National teamUnited States
Born (1971-03-18) March 18, 1971 (age 53)
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight161 lb (73 kg)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Breaststroke
ClubGreater Pensacola Aquatics (GPAC)
College team University of Texas
Coach Steve Bultman (GPAC)
Eddie Reese (U. Texas)

Daniel Linton Watters (born March 18, 1971) is an American former competition swimmer for the University of Texas who participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics in the men's 100-meter breaststroke in Seoul, South Korea. After obtaining an MBA from the University of San Francisco, Watters worked as a business manager for several companies generally focusing in the field of information technology. [1] [2]

Contents

Hall graduated from Pensacola's Booker T. Washington High School where he was coached by Mike Haas. [3] Watters also competed and likely trained more intensely during his High School years with the Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club (GPAC) under Hall of Fame Coach Steve Bultman along with fellow Pensacolans and 1988 Olympians Beth Barr, and Andrea Hayes. At only 15 on August 13, 1986, while competing in his first National meet, Watters placed first in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:25.02 at the McDonalds-U.S. Swimming Junior Olympics in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Swimming around his Sophomore year for Booker T. Washington, at the Class 4A Florida State Swimming Championships on November 23, 1986, in Orlando, Watters took the state title in the 100 breaststroke, his signature event, with a 58.22, helping Booker T. Washington take the Florida State Championship that year. [10] At the NSPI Invite, in mid-October 1987, Waters won the 100-meter breast stroke with a record time of 59.93, breaking the 1986 record by 2/10 of a second. He also swam anchor at the NSPI meet on a winning 400 freestyle relay. [11]

1988 Olympics

As a 17-year about to begin his High School Senior at Pensacola's Booker T. Washington, Watters qualified for the 1988 Seoul Olympics at the U.S. Trials in Austin, Texas on August 8 by placing second in the 100-meter breaststroke in a personal best time of 1:02.76, edging out the third place finisher by around half a second. [12] [13] [14]

Watters competed in the B Final of the men's 100-meter breaststroke, and finished with the fifteenth-best time overall with a time of 1:04.17. In the highly competitive Olympic field, his time was within 2 seconds of the bronze medalist from Russia. No members of the U.S. team medaled in the event that year. Steve Bultman, Watters' coach at Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club, served as an Assistant Coach at the Olympics that year. [1] [2] [9]

University of Texas

He attended the University of Texas from around 1989-1993, where he swam under Men's Hall of Fame Head Coach, Eddie Reese. As an accomplished breaststroker, Watters helped capture two NCAA titles for Texas and in his senior year captained the team. After graduating in 1993, he attended the University of San Francisco, where he received an MBA. [2] [1]

He pursued employment in various business fields, working in information technology (IT) for a number of companies. He started with KPMG, but was then with Capgemini in Dallas, AT Kearney as a senior manager in IT, and Amdocs in business development and sales. Around 2011, he was responsible for managing the American division of an Israeli-owned telecommunications company in Dallas. In the 2010s, he worked for Oberthur Technologies, a French Digital Security company. Since 2009, he has worked with Swim Across America since first swimming the event in San Francisco. In 2011 he helped bring Swim Across America to Dallas and has served as Swim Across America's Dallas Committee's Co-Director. Swim Across America is a nation-wide charitable organization that funds cancer research, largely through the efforts of individuals and teams that gain sponsors to perform an organized swim selected, planned, and staffed by the local Swim Across America organization. [2] [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Linn</span> American swimmer (born 1975)

Jeremy Porter Linn is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, world record-holder and current swim coach. Linn set an American record in the 100-meter breaststroke while winning the silver medal in that event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, in a time of 1:00.77. With a burst of speed in the final stretch, he finished just .12 seconds behind the gold medal winner from Belgium who had previously set the World Record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hencken</span> American swimmer (born 1954)

John Frederick Hencken is an American former competition swimmer for Stanford University, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder primarily in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke events. Hencken won five Olympic medals during his career in the 1972 Munich, and 1976 Montreal Olympics, including three golds.

Elizabeth Cynthia Barr, later known by her married name Beth Isaak, is an American former competition swimmer for the University of Texas who was a backstroke specialist and 1988 Seoul Olympic silver medalist for the United States in the women's 4×100-meter medley relay. After her swimming career ended, she worked as a lobbyist, and in public relations in Washington D.C., and Phoenix, Arizona, and in 2010 returned to her native Pensacola to teach and coach swimming with her company BARRacuda Swimming Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Wayte</span> American swimmer (born 1965)

Mary Alice Bradburne is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and television sports commentator. During her international swimming career, Wayte won ten medals in major international championships, including four golds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Berkoff</span> American swimmer

David "Dave" Charles Berkoff is an American former competition Hall of Fame swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events. Berkoff was a backstroke specialist who won a total of four medals during his career at the Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992. He is best known for breaking the world record for the 100-meter backstroke three times, beginning at the 1988 Olympic trial preliminaries, becoming the first swimmer to go under 55 seconds for the event. He is also remembered for his powerful underwater backstroke start, the eponymous "Berkoff Blastoff" which after a strong push-off from the side of the pool used a horizontal body position with locked arms outstretched overhead and an undulating or wavelike aerodynamic dolphin kick to provide thrust and build speed.

Mitzi Patricia Kremer, later known by her married name Mitzi Tighe, is an American former competition swimmer for Clemson University who represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea where she won a bronze medal in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay. Since 1994, she has worked as a swim coach and Aquatics director in Florida. She coached at her alma mater Titusville High School, where she led the boys team to a conference title in 1994 and founded the Titusville Swim Club in 1995. From 1996-2010, she served as Coach for the Tampa Palms Country Club and later Coach and Aquatics Director for the New Tampa YMCA where she met her husband Mark Tighe, another Team New Tampa swim coach.

Ryan Thomas Berube is an American former competition swimmer and freestyle and individual medley specialist for Southern Methodist University who won the gold medal anchoring the U.S. men's team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. A business major at SMU, he would later work as a wealth manager, and serve two decades on various boards and committees of USA Swimming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan von der Lippe</span> American swimmer (born 1965)

Susan von der Lippe was an American competition swimmer for Stanford University, a 1984 Olympic gold and silver medalist, and a United States Masters world record-holder in multiple events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catie Ball</span> American swimmer (born 1951)

Catharine Ball Condon, née Catharine Northcutt Ball, is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in three events. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. 4×100-meter medley relay team. Ball is a former world record holder in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke events, and is remembered as a teenage star who was the dominant female breaststroke swimmer of her generation.

Hans F. Dersch is an American former competition swimmer and breaststroke specialist who represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Andrea Jean Hayes, later known by her married name Andrea Dickson, is an American former competition swimmer who swam for the University of Texas, and represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alia Atkinson</span> Jamaican swimmer (born 1988)

Alia Shanee Atkinson, СD is a Jamaican five-time Olympian and a former competitive swimmer whose international competition career spanned 19 years, 2003 to 2021 inclusive, at the senior level. At short course World Swimming Championships, she is a ten-time medalist in individual events, including four gold medals, four silver medals, and two bronze medals. She won a total of 124 medals, of which 74 were gold medals, at Swimming World Cup circuits over the course of her career. She won 14 total medals in individual events, 11 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze, from her first three Central American and Caribbean Games, in 2006, 2010, and 2018.

Joel Ladd Thomas is an American former competition swimmer and Water Polo player for the University of California at Berkeley and a 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

Breeja Larson was an American former competition swimmer for Texas A&M University who specialized in the breaststroke, and earned a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Natalie Cammile Adams is an American competition swimmer who specializes in butterfly events. She represented the United States in the 200-meter butterfly event at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics in the same event.

Rita Medrano Muñoz was a Mexican competition swimmer who swam for Texas A&M University and competed for Mexico in the 200 meter butterfly event at the 2012 London Olympics.

Erica Dittmer, also known as Erica Dittmer Cane, is an American-born Mexican breaststroke, freestyle and medley swimmer who competed for Texas A&M University and for Mexico in the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 200-meter individual medley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Pickrem</span> Canadian swimmer (born 1997)

Sydney Pickrem is a Canadian competitive swimmer who competed for Texas A&M University in College Station. A three-time Olympian, she placed sixth in the 200m individual medley at the 2016 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics as part of the Canadian 4×100 metre medley relay team. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she participated in the women’s 200-meter individual medley and the 200-meter breaststroke, but finished out of medal contention. Accomplished in international competition, she is a seven-time World Aquatics Championships medallist.

Bobby Patten is an American swimming coach who was a 2010 recipient of United States Masters Swimming's Coach of the Year. He was a competitive swimmer for Southern Methodist University where he was a five-time NCAA All-American specializing in butterfly. Since his college swimming career, he has won several open water competitions and as a U.S. Masters Swimmer has set numerous age group records in freestyle and butterfly events.

Steve Bultman is a former American competitive swimmer for Louisiana State University and an Olympic and college swim coach best known for coaching the Texas A & M Women's team from 1999 through 2024 where he led them to four Big 10 Conference Championships and four consecutive Southeastern Conference Championships from 2016 to 2019. He coached an exceptional total of 16 Olympians in his career.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Daniel Watters. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Olympedia, Daniel Watters Bio". olympedia.org.
  3. ↑ Ryan, Dan, "Washington Spoil's Lyman's State Boy's Title Hopes", The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Florida, 23 November 1986, pg. 48
  4. ↑ "Watters Wins 200-meter breaststroke at U.S. Meet", Daily Times-Advocate, Escondido, California, 14 August 1986, pg. 41
  5. ↑ "Daniel Waters", Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 9 April 2011, pg. 23
  6. ↑ Swam for GPAC under Steve Bultman in "Pensacola Bay Area Olympians", Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 17 October 2004, pg. 48
  7. ↑ Watters graduated Booker T. Washington in West, Cindy, "Jones Finally Gets His Gold", Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 6 October 1988, pg. 1
  8. ↑ "Texas A&M Staff, Steve Bultman". 12thman.com.
  9. 1 2 "Kaufman, Sophie, Texas A&M Coach Steve Bultman Announces Retirement after 25 years". swimswam.com. January 29, 2024.
  10. ↑ Borzi, Pat, "Spanish River Girls Romp", The Miami Herald, Miami, Florida, 23 November 1986, pg. 874
  11. ↑ "Swimming, NSPI National Invite", Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 18 October 1987, pg. 38
  12. ↑ Buchalter, Bill, "Long Shots Are Now Sure Shots", The Orlando Sentinel, 16 September 1988, pg. 41
  13. ↑ "Olympic Trials, Austin, Texas", The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Florida, 9 August 1988, pg. 7
  14. ↑ Koenig, Bill, "Watters Wants to Make a Splash", Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 17 September 1988, pg. 32
  15. ↑ "Openwaterpedia, Daniel Watters". openwaterpedia.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.