Swimming, Diving Open Dual Meet Season
November 10, 1999 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Nov. 10, 1999
Los Angeles - The USC men's and women's swimming and diving teams open up dual-meet competition this weekend at the Arizona schools. Both the men and women compete at Arizona on Friday (Nov. 12) at 1 p.m. and at Arizona State on Saturday (Nov. 13) at 11 a.m.
* RANKINGS - The USC women opened up at No. 4 in the Nov. 4 edition of the Speedo America College Swimming Association Top 25 poll. The men?s squad is No. 5.
* LAST SEASON - For the second consecutive season, the men's and women's programs mirrored each other at the 1998-99 Pac-10 and NCAA Championships. Both squads took second at the Pac-10 meet and they both turned in sixth-place showings at the NCAAs. Seven of 11 All-Americans return for the men's team, three of six for the women. Against the desert schools a year ago, USC's men downed Arizona, 159-84, and Arizona State, 134.5-87.5. The women defeated the Wildcats, 126.5-115.5, and downed the Sun Devils, 163-117.
* USC SUPERLATIVES - USC Coach Mark Schubert has built women's and men's teams that are dotted with national and international-caliber swimmers. More than a dozen were competing this summer at various meets around the world, with considerable success. Sophomore Mark Warkentin won four gold medals at the 1999 University Games and five medals at the 1999 U.S. Spring and Summer Nationals. Junior Leonardo Costa won a gold and a bronze at the 1999 Pan Am Games, junior Ryosuke Imai earned a bronze at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships and junior Corrie Murphy won a bronze at the 1999 World University Games. Among USC?s returning medalists at the U.S. Nationals were junior Alexis Lyon and sophomore Kristin MacGregor as well as freshman Michala Kwasny for the women and Warkentin, Bret Awbrey, Joe Curreri and freshman Erik Vendt on the men's side.
* OLYMPIC ACHIEVEMENT - USC Coach Mark Schubert, in his seventh year at Troy, will serve as the head coach for the U.S. men?s team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. It is his sixth consecutive USA Olympic coaching position. (Schubert?s wife, Joke, will be the head manager for the U.S. contingent in Australia, as well.) Mark Schubert was an assistant coach at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He served as the 1992 USA women?s Olympic head coach, guiding the American women to two gold medal relay world records, four additional American records and an impressive world-leading 14 medals, including five gold. In January of 1998, he served as assistant coach for the U.S. women?s team at the World Championships in Perth, Australia.
* USC INVITATIONAL - USC swimmers posted some fantastic times at the USC Invitational (Oct. 29-30), especially from the freshmen. Women's freshman Michala Kwasny, in her first collegiate meet, posted three NCAA automatic qualifying times, including a USC McDonald's Stadium pool record in the 200y IM (1:59.37). Her other hard times came in the 400y IM (4:14.31) and the 200y butterfly (2:00.02). Fellow freshman Erik Vendt also posted a pool record, his coming in the 1650y freestyle (14:54.30). The mark, one of two NCAA automatics he set at the meet, shattered a 13-year old mark by more than 16 seconds. Vendt's other NCAA automatic came in the 500y free in 4:20.48. He also posted a consideration time in the 400y IM in 3:54.59. Additionally, Vendt led off USC's 800y freestyle relay (which also included junior Philippe Demers, freshman Jeff Lee and sophomore Mark Warkentin), which set a pool record in 6:40.57. The old mark was 6:45.60, set in 1984.
