Keep UI men’s swimming and tennis, but fire Barta

We need to end this mess created by Iowa's Athletic Director Gary Barta. He lost huge money for mishandling woman's athletics and tries to save pennies destroying men's swimming and tennis.

As a young swimmer at Cedar Rapids Washington, I was fortunate enough to start their state championship streak. I was partially driven by my desire to be an Iowa Hawkeye, dreaming to swim for them. My dream came true and I swam as a Hawkeye, and my father, Alfred Sieh, was also captain of a much earlier Iowa tennis team.

These sports allow competition across Iowa, and to take away Iowans' right to compete on a national Big Ten Conference level is just flat wrong. At no time do these sports cost, they actually benefit our Iowa society daily. Thousands of age group swimmers have my same dream. Since woman's swimming is being retained, the pool costs are paid for. Tennis courts exist for the student body. Come on, do the math. Barta is the cause, he obviously can't add or can't reason, and no one man should be allowed to change our society and its values.

Gregory M Sieh

Cedar Rapids