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Mailing Address: The old adage, "Do as I say, not as I do," can be twisted around the right way for Tracy Ljone's University of New Mexico swimmers and divers for the 2009-10 season. Coach Ljone (pronounced Lee-Own) challenged, and demanded, that her Lobos return for the 2009-10 season in better shape. UNM's fit and trim coach can look any of her swimmers square in the eye and say, "Do as I do." Ljone challenged herself this summer by competing in -- and finishing -- two Ironman triathlons, including the triathlon of all triathlons: the Kona Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. "I hope the girls see that we practice what we preach about conditioning and we can do what we ask them to do," said Ljone. "I hope they see it as kind of a challenge for them." Ljone was the first woman swimmer out of the water at the Ironman Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) and backed that outstanding effort by being the second amateur woman swimmer out of the water at Kona. Ljone also won her age group's swim in Kona and finished 35th in that division. A triathlon is a back-to-back 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2-mile marathon. "It was one of the toughest mental and physical challenges I've ever had," said Ljone. Ljone's "do-as-I-do" philosophy isn't limited to the water. Ljone, who has a Ph.D and Masters in sports administration, also emphasizes the educational side of being a student-athlete - a side that will carry her Lobos a lot further than what happens in the pool. Ljone's Lobos have posted a GPA of 3.29 or higher for eight consecutive semesters. Her program had a 3.43 in 2008-09. The Lobos are one of the top academic programs in the Mountain West Conference. Ljone had 20 Lobos named to the 2008-09 Academic All-Mountain West Conference Team and she returns 15 of those student-athletes for the current season. "This program's work ethic does not end at the pool's end," said the UNM coach. "It's important that we work hard to be the best we can in the pool. It's more important that we carry that attitude over to the classroom." Ljone's philosophy as a coach is a product of her time in the water and in the classroom as a student-athlete at South Carolina. Ljone definitely was a dual threat. She was a standout in the lanes as a four-year letterwinner. She also earned a spot on the Southeastern Conference Honor Roll from 1994-97 and was a three-time NCAA All-Academic Team selection. Ljone came to UNM in 2002 as a strength coach. That two-year experience increased Ljone's knowledge in dealing with the various physical and mental needs of athletes in the weight room and in conditioning. But Ljone still had the itch to return to the pool and got that chance from 2004-05 as the top assistant to former UNM head coach Bill Spahn. When Spahn retired, Ljone was the obvious choice to lead the Lobos. Ljone had previous head-coaching experience at Georgia Southern University from 1999-2002 where her team compiled a 13-10 overall record. In Ljone's three years, Georgia Southern swimmers recorded 96 percent of their top individual times. In 2000, she led Georgia Southern to a second place finish in the Southern Conference Championships. Ljone earned her B.S. in Exercise Science from South Carolina in 1997 and received her master's in Sports Management from Georgia Southern in 1999. Ljone completed her Ph.D. in Sports Administration at UNM with a minor in Health Education in June 2008. |
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