Saluki senior swimmer Donianzu Murgiondo began her long and distinguished career in swimming in at the age of 9, when her doctor recommended swimming as therapy for a back problem she once had.

In high school, she was named Swimmer of the Year in her home country of Spain in 1991 and 1992, but she think a whole lot about swimming at the collegiate level.

That all changed when she got some encouragement from former Saluki swimmer, and fellow countryman, Harri Garmendia.

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Garmendia, a four-time All-American at SIUC and member of the 1984 Spanish Olympic team, convinced Murgiondo that she could swim at the college level, and that SIUC was the place to do it.

He (Garmendia) liked SIUC very much. He told me that I could have a chance to come here and get a scholarship, said Murgiondo. I came here and started swimming in the Saluki Club, then I got a scholarship and was eligible to swim on the team, she said.

She took Garmendia’s advice and came to SIUC, and has accomplished many things in the past three seasons.

Last season, Murgiondo had the team’s second-fastest times in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle events and swam her way to a first-place finish in the 500 free at the MVC Championships.

This season, Murgiondo is a Saluki team captain and one of the swimmers women’s swim coach Mark Kluemper will be looking to for leadership and consistency.

Murgiondo said she is honored the team chose her to be a captain I am proud of it (being a captain) because my team chose me. Being a captain is like being a channel between the coach and the team you always have to keep an eye on everyone make sure everyone is swimming well, said Murgiondo.

It helps being a senior. I think people look up to you. Some people are new and they don’t know which way to head. Being a captain, you can give them direction, she said.

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Murgiondo has one major goal she would like to realize during her last season at SIUC.

I want to finish well I’m working real hard for it and I would love to go to the NCAA’s (championships), she said.

Murgiondo said the main difference between Spain and the United States is balancing swimming and going to school.

In Spain, you can’t study and swim at the same time. Here you can do both at the same time. Everything is so close you have the pool and the school together, she said. Everyone helps you do both together.

Back home, you don’t find the opportunity. There are swim clubs, but your hometown and the university are four hours away.

As a marketing student, Murgiondo plans to continue on into graduate school. She has not decided where she is going yet, but she would like to stay at SIUC.

Murgiondo plans to stay in the United States because of the different opportunities in marketing, but she said she misses her family, friends, her culture, and the food back home in Spain.

Murgiondo said she has adjusted well to life in the United States, both as a student and an athlete.

It was hard at the beginning because I didn’t know the language, she said. Everyone was rushing more here than back home, but my life was always about rushing.

The swimming and diving teams will travel to Spain during the Christmas break to train in Murgiondo’s hometown of Ordizia, Spain, where the SIUC swim/dive teams will compete in an international meet.

Murgiondo said she is really looking forward to performing in front of, what will be for her, a home crowd.

I am looking forward to that big time after so much work we can show them what we can do, she said.