Temple University Athletics
Hall of Fame Spotlight: Steven Smutny, Men's Swimming
10.2.24 | General
No student-athlete started their career in a finer fashion that Temple swimmer Steve Smutny (1982-86). The Owl won gold in five events (200 Butterfly, 200 Medley, 400 Medley, 400 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay) to earn Atlantic 10 Conference Swimmer of the Year and help the team upset West Virginia to capture the A-10 Championship as a freshman. He would go on to win the 200-yard butterfly at the A-10 Championships all four years.
The only Temple swimmer to compete at three NCAA Championships, he placed 18th in the 200-yard butterfly at the 1986 NCAA Championships, missing All-America honors by two one-hundredths of a second. Over his career, he won 11 conference titles while setting six conference records. Temple Athletics will honor Smutny by enshrining him into the Hall of Fame on Friday, October 18. Smutny spoke to OwlSports.com about what his career at Temple meant to him.
What brought you to Temple University?
A couple of the guys at my swim club swam at Temple and they told Steve Fenning, the Temple coach, about me. Fenning reached out to me, and I went for a recruiting trip. I was from a very small town in Florida, and here was this big city of Philadelphia with so much craziness. I remember sitting outside McGonigle Hall watching some crazy people go by and I said to myself, "This will be a great experience." Everyone was very nice during my recruitment process and I was excited to be a part of the swim team.
Can you describe to me how your first year at Temple went?
Phenomenal. Tech (Coach Fenning) was a master of swimming. It was always challenging and the guys were always super encouraging. It was a great group of guys, we all hung out together. We were very dedicated to the sport and each other. I was late to my first-ever college practice because my alarm clock didn't go off. Since that time, I make it a point to set two separate alarm clocks 30 minutes ahead of time. My senior teammates guided me on classes and professors to take. Gavin White, the athletic director at the time, was super nice – always looked out for us.
Can you describe the feeling of winning Atlantic 10 Championships and winning A-10 Swimmer of the Year that year?
We knew the other teams, like West Virginia and Penn State, were tough and difficult to beat. But the guys on the team pulled it together, and it came down to my last event and the last relay. We needed to win both and we pulled it off. To be able to swim as fast and as hard as I was able to, I couldn't believe it. And to win Swimmer of the Year was just icing on the cake.
What was the experience like being named an All-American as a freshman?
It was really just a certificate in the mail that I got. It didn't seem to me at the time a huge deal, but I had enough coaches around to explain the significance of it. I just got a certificate in the mail in the summer. Looking back on it now, it's a huge deal. But I didn't realize at the time.
You advanced to NCAA Championships three times while at Temple. Can you explain what that meant to you?
That was a huge learning experience. It was phenomenal to be able to go. Freshman year, I missed by two thousandths of a second. I then got injured my sophomore year, but with the help of Coach Mario Valori I still managed to qualify for NCAA's that year. It was a great experience to go and see these world class swimmers and be in the mix with them. It was a little overwhelming, just me and the coach, and you see these large teams with 18 guys. It was fun, challenging, and something that I'll always remember. I tell my kids and they all swim, I explain to them how great it was to compete at NCAA's.
What does it mean to see your children follow in your footsteps?
To me, it's a huge sense of pride to me – to see my children be able to get there. Knowing how hard it is to get to that point. Both my wife and I swam at Temple. For my kids to put the effort in and swim at great universities, I'm so proud. I beam every time I mention it.
Editor's Note: Daughter, Mary, was a three-time Big 12 champion and individual champion at the University of Texas and also swam at the University of Miami; Son, Luke, earned four letters as a swimmer at the University of Pittsburgh; Daughter, Lucy, is a senior swimmer at Coast Guard Academy, and another daughter, Madeline, was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection as a freshman and is currently in her sophomore season on the swim team at West Virginia University.
Following graduation, did you continue your swimming career?
I continued to train for 1988 Olympic trials after I had made 1984 trials. I had some shoulder issues and the pain was just too great to continue. Doctors continued to tell me that I was going to regret it. I wouldn't change anything though. I love swimming and I am passionate about it.
What does this honor mean to you?
It means Temple remembers the swim team and the hard work of all the guys that helped to push me to get better. For the longest time, you never heard anything about Temple Swimming. Then last year, when (Temple) reached out and brought us all together to commemorate the A-10 Championship, we saw each other for the first time in nearly 40 years. It was like we picked up where we left off and had a great time. I can remember walking through McGonigle Hall when I was a student and looking at the photos of the Hall of Famers, and I would think, "Wouldn't it be a hoot for my face to be up there one day?" - I got the phone call and it was a surreal feeling. Unbelievable.
The only Temple swimmer to compete at three NCAA Championships, he placed 18th in the 200-yard butterfly at the 1986 NCAA Championships, missing All-America honors by two one-hundredths of a second. Over his career, he won 11 conference titles while setting six conference records. Temple Athletics will honor Smutny by enshrining him into the Hall of Fame on Friday, October 18. Smutny spoke to OwlSports.com about what his career at Temple meant to him.
What brought you to Temple University?
A couple of the guys at my swim club swam at Temple and they told Steve Fenning, the Temple coach, about me. Fenning reached out to me, and I went for a recruiting trip. I was from a very small town in Florida, and here was this big city of Philadelphia with so much craziness. I remember sitting outside McGonigle Hall watching some crazy people go by and I said to myself, "This will be a great experience." Everyone was very nice during my recruitment process and I was excited to be a part of the swim team.
Can you describe to me how your first year at Temple went?
Phenomenal. Tech (Coach Fenning) was a master of swimming. It was always challenging and the guys were always super encouraging. It was a great group of guys, we all hung out together. We were very dedicated to the sport and each other. I was late to my first-ever college practice because my alarm clock didn't go off. Since that time, I make it a point to set two separate alarm clocks 30 minutes ahead of time. My senior teammates guided me on classes and professors to take. Gavin White, the athletic director at the time, was super nice – always looked out for us.
Can you describe the feeling of winning Atlantic 10 Championships and winning A-10 Swimmer of the Year that year?
We knew the other teams, like West Virginia and Penn State, were tough and difficult to beat. But the guys on the team pulled it together, and it came down to my last event and the last relay. We needed to win both and we pulled it off. To be able to swim as fast and as hard as I was able to, I couldn't believe it. And to win Swimmer of the Year was just icing on the cake.
What was the experience like being named an All-American as a freshman?
It was really just a certificate in the mail that I got. It didn't seem to me at the time a huge deal, but I had enough coaches around to explain the significance of it. I just got a certificate in the mail in the summer. Looking back on it now, it's a huge deal. But I didn't realize at the time.
You advanced to NCAA Championships three times while at Temple. Can you explain what that meant to you?
That was a huge learning experience. It was phenomenal to be able to go. Freshman year, I missed by two thousandths of a second. I then got injured my sophomore year, but with the help of Coach Mario Valori I still managed to qualify for NCAA's that year. It was a great experience to go and see these world class swimmers and be in the mix with them. It was a little overwhelming, just me and the coach, and you see these large teams with 18 guys. It was fun, challenging, and something that I'll always remember. I tell my kids and they all swim, I explain to them how great it was to compete at NCAA's.
What does it mean to see your children follow in your footsteps?
To me, it's a huge sense of pride to me – to see my children be able to get there. Knowing how hard it is to get to that point. Both my wife and I swam at Temple. For my kids to put the effort in and swim at great universities, I'm so proud. I beam every time I mention it.
Editor's Note: Daughter, Mary, was a three-time Big 12 champion and individual champion at the University of Texas and also swam at the University of Miami; Son, Luke, earned four letters as a swimmer at the University of Pittsburgh; Daughter, Lucy, is a senior swimmer at Coast Guard Academy, and another daughter, Madeline, was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection as a freshman and is currently in her sophomore season on the swim team at West Virginia University.
Following graduation, did you continue your swimming career?
I continued to train for 1988 Olympic trials after I had made 1984 trials. I had some shoulder issues and the pain was just too great to continue. Doctors continued to tell me that I was going to regret it. I wouldn't change anything though. I love swimming and I am passionate about it.
What does this honor mean to you?
It means Temple remembers the swim team and the hard work of all the guys that helped to push me to get better. For the longest time, you never heard anything about Temple Swimming. Then last year, when (Temple) reached out and brought us all together to commemorate the A-10 Championship, we saw each other for the first time in nearly 40 years. It was like we picked up where we left off and had a great time. I can remember walking through McGonigle Hall when I was a student and looking at the photos of the Hall of Famers, and I would think, "Wouldn't it be a hoot for my face to be up there one day?" - I got the phone call and it was a surreal feeling. Unbelievable.
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