When it rains it pours! First Amanda Beard shares the cover of Outside Magazine. Then Kathleen Hersey follows up with recognition in Sports Illustrated. And now we have Janet Evans scoring a front page headline on People Magazine’s website. Not too shabby press coverage for swim chicks lately, huh?

Janet’s article centers around how she stayed active in the pool while pregnant, and was back in the pool just 10 days after giving birth. Such a preganancy plan seemed to work wonders for Dara Torres as well.

Janet shared her story with PEOPLE while in New York for the 22nd Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner last week. Read it here.

And because sharing is caring — and we’re all about that around here — to your left is a picture we took of Janet at Nationals at the start of the Women’s 200 Free Awards Ceremony. (Yes, you can click it for a larger pic)

Miss Felicia Lee has had a stranglehold on the Sports Illustrated appearances recently. But being the kind and giving individual that she is, she’s decided to let someone else get some love in the magazine. Isn’t she great? How about a hand for Flee! She’s so gracious!

Anyway, in the October 1 issue of SI, you’ll be able to see Kathleen Hersey’s bright & shining smile in the prestigious “Faces In The Crowd” section. ( Click here for the online version) Pretty impressive, but not surprising considering the summer of domination she’s displayed!

And just for shits n’ giggles, here is a small selection of our pics from Nationals, where Kathleen did some more ass-kicking. We’re tellin’ ya: keep an eye on this girl. She’s destined for big things!

My trip to the bookstore last week (I’m not paying for all that stuff when I can read it for free in the store. Ya feel me?) to pick up Amanda Beard’s cover of Outside Magazine got me thinking.

As I looked through entirely too many sports mags, I realized that there really aren’t any swimming publications available on newsstands. Of course you see the mainstream sports receiving the lion’s share of coverage, but what about the others? I saw surfing, cycling, running, skiing, golf, and even a couple of triathlete-specific magazines. And yes, I am fully aware that triathletes are required to swim.

So I began to wonder why there aren’t any newsstand swimming options available. You always hear about how much participation age group swimming garners. One would think that those swimmers - and their parents - would be all over that. Maybe not?

I haven’t spent as long following swimming as most people have. Have their been any swimming specific magazines available for purchase at newsstands and bookstores? And is that past failure the reason there aren’t any now? Would anyone even be willing to buy one?

Just thinking out loud. Feel free to chime in with any responses. I’m extremely curious!

So, since my Algebra class is so close to the pool, I decided to hit up the HYPR center once more, just to see if the pool was open. Yeah, no such luck. But today, as I sat in my Spanish class, it dawned on me: pictures on the Internet. So I rushed back to my dorm (not really) and searched for hours (more like 30 seconds) and found these pictures. So behold: the South Dakota State Pool.

As you’re probably well aware, there isn’t much going on in the Swim World. Let me rephrase that; there isn’t anything we would write about going on in the Swim World. There, now I hopefully won’t offend anyone. Not that I usually stay awake at night worrying about what other people think…

It’ s just as well because NCAA & NFL football has totally sucked me in and I’m not nearly as focused on swimming anyway!

I wish I could tell you we were working on some really awesome, but I’d be lying.

Actually, I sort of am working on something for SwimStars.org, but you may not see it for a while, so I don’t want to get anyone excited.

Soooo, heard any good jokes lately?

So as a Swim Aid, we love to check out pools (note: see the video on Stanford’s pool)! Since I am out here in a state less traveled, I decided to check out the pool! On my first attempt, the HYPR center (which houses the pool, indoor track, basketball court, etc.) was locked.

My second attempt was also a fail: the pool door was locked and the curtains were drawn. Maybe they got wind that a Swim Aid was on campus? Today was my third attempt, and did I get in? NOPE!

Once again, the door was shut and the curtains were drawn.  Seriously?  After I dragged my self across campus, when I’m practically on my death bed?  Yeah…not cool SDSU!

However, I did sneak a peek when someone walked out. From what I saw, it’s nothing like Stanford or IUPUI, but consider where I am once again.

I guess we’ll just have to wait until swim season to get the full view!

Swim Aid rating: 2 out of 4 stars.

TYR is alway impressing the Swim Aids. (Speedo, Nike: take notes!) And they don’t show any signs of slowing down.

There’s a new ad up featuring Mr. Erik Vendt, the newly minted 800 & 1500 Free National Champion. The picture used in the ad was immediately familiar to me. It was from this year’s Santa Clara meet, and we have some shots of our own that are similar to it.

And if you remember, it was also the 400 Free prelim race where poor Erik was rockin’ the hole-y suit.

Good times, good times.