Swimming coach Lawlor-Gilbert retires

After 17 years as head coach of both the Penn men's and women's swimming teams, Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert surprisingly announced her retirement yesterday. Michael Schnur, who has been the assistant coach of both teams for the last seven years, was named the interim coach, and will lead the Quakers for the 1999-2000 season. "It is most appropriate to conclude my coaching career at the University of Pennsylvania because it has been such a rewarding experience," Lawlor-Gilbert said in a statement released by the Athletic Department yesterday. "My interest and support of Penn's swimming and diving programs, and our student-athletes, will continue." Lawlor-Gilbert announced her decision to retire yesterday to members of both teams who had gathered to swim at Sheerr Pool. Organized practices are not allowed until October 1, but many of the swimmers swim together in the afternoons and most of the members of both teams were in the pool yesterday. "It was a shock," Penn senior Jen Walsh said. "She just said that she's decided to retire and that she felt like the time is right." When Lawlor-Gilbert arrived at the pool yesterday, she asked that everyone get out of the water for a quick team meeting, during which she told the team of her decision. The team members on hand thanked her and applauded, and also congratulated Schnur on his sudden promotion. Many of the swimmers then continued swimming, while others spoke with Lawlor-Gilbert. The entire women's team plans to meet with her today. Lawlor-Gilbert was the first woman to handle the coaching duties of a men's and women's swimming team simultaneously at the Division I level. During her tenure at Penn, her swimmers broke every school record in both individual and relay events. Her 17 years of coaching were not entirely successful, though, as she compiled a 65-118 record with the men's team and a 115-124 record with the women's team. In recent years, the Quakers have encountered more trouble in the water, especially against league opponents. Penn's women are 0-42 against the Ivy League over the past six years and have not put together a winning season against the Ancient Eight since 1990. Since their last winning season against the EISL in 1991, Penn's men are 20-55 in league competition. Still, Lawlor-Gilbert will certainly be missed on the deck. "I guess I'm just sad because I did get along really well with her," Penn sophomore Kenneth Goh said. "She's been coaching for a really long time and she's got tons of experience." Lawlor-Gilbert's retirement was an enormous surprise to both teams especially because Penn's swimmers believe that they were starting to turn the program around at the end of last season. They do believe that it will still be possible to do so under Schnur. "A lot of people made a lot of improvement last year," Walsh said. "And I think that there are two ways that a team can handle the sudden loss of a coach -- you can go up, or you can go down, and if we pull together and continue making steps and strides, I think that this year we're going to surprise a lot of people." The team's confidence in and familiarity with Schnur is still accompanied by worries, though, especially since he will have to manage two teams as his first head coaching job. It is unclear whether another assistant will be hired before the 1999-2000 season. Schnur could not be reached for comment last night. "[Lawlor-Gilbert] and Schnur had a pretty good working relationship," Goh said. "It'll be something to get used to not having both of them to work with. With one coach instead of two, it might affect the attention that he can give to all of the swimmers." Lawlor-Gilbert's decision to retire remains unexplained, as does her method of only telling part of the team at an impromptu poolside meeting. "I guess she has her reasons," said Goh, who heard of Lawlor-Gilbert's retirement from a reporter. "She hasn't talked about it at all. It's quite a surprise."