Meet Preview: For Tanner Barton, Return to Alma Mater Ball State is a Full-Circle Moment

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Tanner Barton touched the wall, looked back and saw no one in his sight in Lane No. 4 of the six-lane pool.

He then eyed the small electronic scoreboard in the right corner past the diving well of Ball State's Lewellen Aquatic Center. Right next to his name, it beamed a time of 1:55.08, over nine seconds better than his second-place competition.

It was the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2015, and Barton had just won the 200 butterfly with a season-best mark in a dual meet against rival Evansville that helped power the Cardinals to a 196-98 victory. His parents, Tim and Andrea Barton, were there with his now late grandma, Anne Valvano, sitting in a handicapped section on the tan pool deck tile.

The then-sophomore swimmer grinned from ear to ear, beaming with pride, as he spotted her and then his head coach, Bob Thomas. It was also the first meet Valvano had attended since her husband and Barton's grandpa, Sal, had passed away just a month earlier.

The moment was everything Barton could have envisioned in his young collegiate swim career. His family was present, he helped the Cardinals beat their fiercest rival and performed stellarly in the pool.

"It was one of those races where it was such a good race," said Barton, recalling that this moment was his favorite memory at the Lewellen Aquatic Center. "I looked at the clock and was like, 'Wow,' and nobody was close. It was awesome to secure that victory for the team and feel so smooth in the pool where I always was training."

Almost 10 years to the day, this moment has come full circle for Barton, who will return to his alma mater for the first time as Bowling Green's head swim and dive coach in a dual meet against his alma mater. He will be eager to create new memories at the pool that gave him countless ones as a swimmer and coach.

"It will be strange standing next to Lane No. 1," said Barton, describing where the visiting team is located at Lewellen Aquatic Center. "For five years, I stood next to Lane No. 6 [where Ball State's team area is] and cheered people on in the Cardinal and White. Now, I will be on the opposite side of the pool, so it'll be a different vantage point and mindset, and I'll be coaching our Falcons in orange to victory."

Barton capped off his swim career as a two-time team captain. He was the second Ball State men's swimmer ever to receive the MAC's Bob James Award given to one male and female senior student-athlete in the conference who has achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.50 and has displayed good character, leadership and citizenship.

He was also introduced to collegiate coaching at Ball State. After graduating in 2017, he became Thomas' graduate assistant and fell in love with the position. In his 39^th and final year as the Cardinals' head men's swimming and diving coach, Thomas gave Barton freedom that many graduate assistants would not otherwise have. He allowed Barton to write all morning workouts and handle all recruiting, including coordinating official visits.

"Here I am coming into college coaching, and he trusted me enough to write all morning workouts," Barton said. "There were times when my practices went well, and there were times when I felt like they were an absolute failure. But we worked together so I could hone my practice-writing skills not even a year after competing myself. He knew I had such passion for the university and the team that it was great for me to have those experiences as a first-year coach.

"If it weren't for my experiences and the autonomy Bob gave me as a GA, I wouldn't have discovered my love for college coaching."

Thomas continues to mentor Barton. His calm, stoic demeanor and quiet confidence influenced Barton and helped mold his coaching style.

He also taught Barton to "not sweat the small stuff" and to create strong relationships and partnerships across campus.

"Relational coaching was something that he emphasized," Barton said. "At the same time, he also ensured that I wasn't getting so anxious or overwhelmed about one thing that might go wrong but rather looking at it in the big picture. He was very centered and even-keeled, which I grew to appreciate even more as a coach than as a student-athlete."

Thomas lives in Illinois after retirement and will not be in attendance during Saturday's meet. Still, Barton's parents and former Ball State volunteer assistant Dave Costill will. Costill established the university's Human Performance Research Laboratory and educated Barton on the effects of training at the intracellular level. He also served as another mentor. Additionally, a handful of former teammates are expected to be present.

Barton, who grew up in Dublin, Ohio —outside of Columbus— compared his weekend experience with that of Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman. Freeman's Fighting Irish will take on his alma mater, Ohio State, in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday.

"I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that I had at Ball State, and if it weren't for my time as a student-athlete at Ball State and in the conference, I wouldn't be in the position I'm in today," Barton said. "Both Marcus Freeman and I recognize how our past has helped to shape our future. Now, it's even more exciting because, in the present moment, we can compete against our previous institution.

"And in a sense, it has come full circle."

Meet Information (1 p.m. start time)

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