Waring set to step down as swim coach

by Chris Messina

Carleton swim team head coach John Waring says he will be leaving the team at the end of the 2004-05 season.

Waring says he is moving to London, Ont., to take a new job and does not plan on coaching in the future.

"If there was a good offer, then I might consider it. But I’m not going to go looking for a job," says Waring.

Waring has been coach for six years.

"John will be missed. He worked hard while he was here," says Tarek Raafat, a member of the Ravens coaching staff.

Waring helped the program at Carleton a lot, says swimmer Melissa Juergensen.

"When he started coaching the team we were not very good. Now, we’re competing at the provincials," says Juergensen.

Carleton assistant athletics director Gail Blake says the candidates to replace Waring are the women’s team coach Lynn Marshall, Raafat and Claudia Schlot, the coach of a club team in Ottawa.

"It is premature to say whether or not I would accept the job if it was offered to me. I don’t think that I would be ready to take on that commitment," says Raafat.

Marshall is the leading candidate to replace Waring, according to Blake.

"Lynn is co-coach of the team right now. I haven’t had the chance to talk to her about taking over the position but she is the most likely candidate," says Blake.

Swimmer Tanner Rasmussen says whatever happens the team should be fine.

"I’m most comfortable with either Lynn or Tarket Raafat because I’ve worked with both of them," says Rasmussen. "I’m fine with whoever they pick."