University Southern California Trojans
NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Continues
June 21, 1999 | Men's Swimming & Diving
March 25, 1999
INDIANAPOLIS -Senior All-American Bela Szabados swam the second-fastest time in the 500y free to highlight USC's first morning at the 1999 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis on Thursday (March 25). Szabados' time of 4:17.52 is a personal and USC season best. Freshman Mark Warkentin just missed joining Szabados in the finals, qualifying ninth in a personal best 4:20.00, five one-hundredths behind the eighth-place finisher. Junior Bret Awbrey finished in 4:26.03 (31st) and senior co-captain Mark Kwok swam 4:28.45 (38th).
The Trojans' 400y medley relay team of sophomore Leonardo Costa, sophomore Ryosuke Imai, senior co-captain Mike Williams and sophomore Gabe Woodward qualified second for the finals in a seasons best 3:12.36. Costa's backstroke lead-off time of 47.99 is a season best. USC took fourth in the event last year.
Woodward swam a personal and USC season best 19.87 in the 50y free, but missed qualifying for the consolation finals by one one-hundredth of a second. Woodward's time, however, does make him the third-fastest USC swimmer ever in the event. Williams finished in 20.23 (34th).
In the 200y IM, freshman Nick Kaschik finished in 1:48.60 (21st), sophomore Slawek Richter swam a personal best 1:49.02 (26th), Imai swam a season best 1:49.25 (31st) and sophomore Philippe Demers swam 1:50.56 (43rd).
USC's 200y free relay team of Williams, Demers, Woodward and Richter qualified for the consolation finals (12th overall), swimming a season's best 1:19.66. Williams' 50y free lead-off time was a season best 20.14. Tonight's finals begin at 7 p.m. (EST).
