The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Spann family continues to impact Texas Swimming and Diving
03.16.2010 | Women's Swimming and Diving
March 16, 2010
Natalie England, TexasSports.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- Believe it or not, Alexi and Scott Spann are connected by a spirit that is stronger than even burnt orange.
They both compete for Texas Swimming and Diving in the breaststroke events, but train separately and race separately. Never do they feel that far apart, though.
"We get the opportunity to be blood-related and team-related," says Alexi, a fifth-year senior. "And that is pretty amazing."
Alexi and the women's swimming and diving team compete at the NCAA Championships this week in West Lafayette, Ind., while brother Scott and the men's team compete next week in Columbus, Ohio.
Both are uniquely familiar to high-stakes swimming. It started in their family before both were even born.
Their father, Scott, came to UT with head coach Eddie Reese. He became an All-American and NCAA champion and held five American records and five world records.
"He was the Michael Phelps of his day," the younger Scott Spann says. "When I hear all these stories about my dad, I don't think it's him."
During that time, the elder Spann also met his wife, Beth, who was an active member of the now-defunct spirit organization, Bevo Babes.
"She would come to all the swim meets and decorate the men's locker room," Alexi explained.
After leaving school, Scott and Beth remained friends with Reese and assistant coach Kris Kubik, and both were frequent guests for dinner at the Spann household.
"I've known them since before I could speak," Alexi says.
That's also about when Alexi started learning the traditions inherent with The University of Texas and its athletics culture. Her schooling started with football games.
"Once you have that much spirit, it's hard to look at another school," she says.
For her, picking UT was an easy choice, and she's had a significant impact on the Longhorns. An All-American, Alexi swam the breaststroke leg on UT's 400 medley relay winning team at last year's conference championships. In 2007, she finished sixth individually at the NCAA Championships in the 200-yard breaststroke.
But even Alexi had to warm to the inevitable talk about extending the Spann family legacy at UT.
"I embrace it now, but it used to be annoying because when you do something, people would only congratulate the family," Alexi says. "I think that's why my little brother originally went to Michigan. He went to Michigan to break the mold."
Indeed, as Alexi points out, the younger Scott originally competed for Michigan, before transferring to the Longhorns in 2008-09. He calls going to Michigan a "career move."
"It was between me and Phelps up there," Scott says. "I've always been really independent, so I wanted to put myself in the most independent situation I could."
The route paid off handsomely for Scott. He started training at UT in April 2008, and later that summer won the 200-meter breaststroke in the U.S. Olympic Trials, and competed in the Beijing Olympics. Ultimately, the lure of a team national championship -- and being closer to home -- pulled Scott back to the Longhorns, and he's proud to become the most recent Scott Spann to compete in burnt orange.
"I like to think that my Dad is one of my greatest competitors," Scott says. "We will compare old swimming times, weights - just anything. And what makes it even more interesting is that we share the same name."
The elder Scott Spann claims that his son "bypassed" him long ago, and is now just content to be a supportive UT fan and parent.
"We'll be with the women's team and the men's team at the national championships," he says. "You don't have kids in the sport forever. And to have your whole family tied to The University of Texas, well, that's just very special. This is the pinnacle."
