She wanted a new setting. She wanted a new atmosphere.
This is how San Diego State swimmer Mariana Luevano felt aftergraduating from Downey High School in Los Angeles in 1997. She waswell on her way to the University of Nevada-Reno, where she receiveda full-ride scholarship for swimming — 100-meter backstroke and 100-and 200-meter butterfly as her specialty.
There, pastures were supposed to be greener and life was to bemade easier. And although Reno in itself wasn’t all that appealing,it did offer an environment far from where she lived.
“I wanted to get away from home,” Luevano said. “I didn’t carewhere it was, it just mattered how far away it was.”
So, off to Reno it was for Luevano — who wasted no time buildinga resume for herself. She posted a career best in the 100-butterflywith a time of 56.97 seconds. As for her team, it won the Big WestConference Championship her first two years, but for Luevano, thatwasn’t enough to keep her happy.
She said perhaps moving so far away from home wasn’t in her bestinterest. She realized she didn’t want to be a part of that teamafter her first year because she didn’t get along with the coachingstaff. She was ready to leave, but realized that transferring afterfreshman year would be more difficult than doing so after hersophomore season, she said.
Also, Luevano received advice from her club coach Dave Salo, backin Los Angeles, to wait another year to see if things changed.
They didn’t.
“I didn’t like (it),” Luevano said. “I didn’t like the atmosphere.We didn’t relate well, we had different attitudes, and a differentoutlook.”
Luevano knew it was time to move on, and Salo recommended SDSU.After the recruitment session, Luevano was impressed with what theschool had to offer, so she enrolled in Fall of 1999. In that firstyear, she recorded team-highs in the 100-and 200-butterfly with timesof 57.63 and 2:05.33, respectively. She also had the second-best timein the 200-individual medley behind teammate Heather DeFelice.Teammate Erin Smith said not only was she performing well, but alsoenjoying the change of venue.
“You could tell she really liked it here compared to Reno,” Smithsaid.
Luevano especially liked it at SDSU because of how well she wasable to relate to head coach Deena Schmidt — something she said wasunattainable in Nevada. Luevano said the relationship with her formercoach was strictly swimming, yet with Schmidt, it’s the opposite.
“I can talk to Deena about personal issues,” Luevano said. “She iseasy to open up to.”
Said Schmidt: “I think the world of her. We were lucky to have hertransfer. I feel close to her and we have a great relationship.”
Now in her senior season, Luevano serves as the team captain –something that came as no surprise to her teammates. They said shemotivates everyone and works hard day in and day out. Perhaps what’smost important, according to her teammates, is that even when sheisn’t performing well, she’s able to overcome that and stay positive.
“She’s never worried about herself,” Smith said. “She staysfocused and carries the same attitude as last year. She was already aleader then, but didn’t have that title … now she does.”
And a leadership role is something Luevano will need to get usedto.
She is a liberal studies major and plans to become a kindergartenteacher after she graduates in May 2001.
