South West Aquatic Sports

09/28/2026

Thank you Frank, for your leadership , friendship and inspiration. All our love and condolences to your family. We love you Molly and Sam.

A legend. A mentor. A Wildcat forever.

We are heartbroken by the loss of Coach Frank Busch.

Frank’s impact on Arizona Swimming cannot be measured simply in championships, Olympians or records. He built a culture, shaped generations of athletes and coaches, and created a family whose connection to Arizona continues long after we leave the pool deck.

In 2008, he led Arizona to one of the greatest moments in our program’s history, when both our men’s and women’s teams captured NCAA National Championships. But for those fortunate enough to swim for him, coach alongside him or simply know him, his legacy is so much bigger than any trophy.

Bear Down Aquatics exists because that connection between generations of Wildcats matters. Today, our entire Arizona swimming family mourns one of the people who helped make that family what it is.

Our hearts are with Patty, the Busch family, and the countless athletes, coaches and friends whose lives Frank touched. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Bear Down, Coach. ❤️💙

Services are currently being coordinated, and all plans remain tentative. The family is considering October 17 for a family service, with a possible opportunity for alumni and the broader swimming community to gather and honor Coach Busch during reunion weekend, October 23–24.

At this time, the family has asked that everyone please hold off on sending flowers as they gather and make arrangements.

We will share additional details as plans are finalized. If you have questions or would like to stay connected regarding services and ways to honor Coach Busch, please reach us at [email protected].

For those asking, yes, Bear Down Aquatics will also work with Frank’s family, our Athletic Department and our Arizona community to create a lasting way to honor Coach Busch and ensure that the legacy he built continues for generations of Wildcats to come.

09/17/2026

Great Article from Fitter Faster!


GUEST ESSAY BY WENDY BOGLIOLI, HALL OF FAME SWIMMER
You Decide What It Means.
By Wendy Boglioli | Guest Contributor

Wendy Boglioli is an Olympic champion, former world record-holder, and member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. She originally shared this story on LinkedIn, and with her permission, we're proud to share it with the Fitter & Faster community.
"You're a good swimmer. But you're not University of Wisconsin-Madison (UM) swimming material."
I was 18 when I read that. It came from Jack Pettinger. If you swam in the '60s and '70s, you know the name. One of the most incredible coaches of that era. Twenty-five years as head coach at Wisconsin. He coached Jim Montgomery, who became the first man in the world under 50 seconds in the 100 freestyle. Everyone wanted to swim for Jack.
I'd wanted it since I was 13. Wisconsin. Nursing. Swimming for Pettinger. That was the plan for five years.
The acceptance letter came. I was in. Then I waited to hear from the coach. Weeks went by. Then the letter came.
"Welcome to the U, Wendy. You're a good swimmer. But you're not U swimming material. If you want to try out next year, you can."
The man I'd looked up to since I was a kid had put it in writing.
Not good enough.
People throw the word setback around. A bad practice isn't a setback. A rough day at work isn't a setback. A setback is when the plan you've been building since you were 13 is gone, and the only road left runs out of your state, away from your family, to a school you've never heard of.
That's what this was.
Monmouth College. It's Monmouth University now. Back then, a small school in New Jersey nobody in Wisconsin had heard of.
And they took a shot at me.
Dick Stedman was the head coach. He got me a full scholarship, one of the first given to a woman under Title IX. So I left Wisconsin and went east.
And that's where I met Bill Palmer at Central Jersey Aquatic Club. He'd coached Olympians and national record holders. What are the chances of that? He saw something. Not just the swimming. The courage and desire underneath it.
He trained me.
At 21, I made the Olympic team. That summer I stood on the podium in Montreal. Gold and bronze.
What that letter couldn't measure was what I'd do when nobody was watching. Every morning. For fifteen years. And the people who believed in me when a letter said not to.
I saw Jack plenty of times over the years. College meets. The Games. Always the same. "Hey, Wendy." He never once said he was sorry. Jack wouldn't do that, and I never needed him to. It was his team. He made a call on what he'd seen of me. I lived with it. And honestly, I believe Jack lived with it too.
In 2019, the Wisconsin Swimming Hall of Fame inducted me.
Here's the part I still shake my head at.
Jim Montgomery was on that 1976 team with me. He swam for Jack too, in Madison, before Indiana and Doc Counsilman. Fifty years later, at our reunion, I sat with Jim and told him this story. He couldn't believe it. He had no idea.
Same coach. Two different letters.
And if I'm honest, had I stayed in Madison, I'm not sure I ever make that team. Jack had great swimmers. I might have been one of many. Never seen at all.
The setback is what launched me.
Adversity doesn't build character. I don't believe that. Adversity makes you decide.
You get to read the letter. You don't get to skip that part. But you decide what it means.
A NOTE FROM FITTER & FASTER
Wendy's story is a reminder that other people will sometimes make judgments about what we can or cannot become. We may not get to choose those moments. We do get to choose what we do next.

That's a message we believe is worth sharing with every swimmer.

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08/05/2026

🏊 Registration is NOW OPEN!
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Whether your swimmer is looking to improve their skills, just starting out, or wants to stay active, our program provides a supportive environment focused on Technique • Teamwork • Fun.

Join us for our 2026–2027 Fall/Winter Season—we cannot wait to welcome new and returning swimmers to the pool!

Questions? Send us a message or visit our website for more information.

06/28/2026

06/23/2026

❤️🤍💙Home Meet Tonight! Go Gators 🐊

06/16/2026

🌺 Home Meet Tonight! Go Gators 🐊