University Southern California Trojans
No. 4 Trojans Take Part in Pac-10 Swimming Championships
June 21, 1999 | Men's Swimming & Diving
March 3, 1999
LOS ANGELES - The USC men's swimming and diving team (6-1 overall, 3-1 in the Pacific-10), the fifth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships a year ago and currently ranked No. 4 in the College Swimming Coaches Poll, travels to Long Beach's Belmont Plaza to take part in the 1999 Pacific-10 Men's Swimming Championships Thursday through Saturday (March 4-6). Preliminary events begin each day at 11 a.m. and finals begin at 6 p.m. each evening. The Pac-10 men's diving championships were held last week in Federal Way, Wash. (see below).
* LAST YEAR AT PAC-10s
USC finished second at the 1998 Pac-10
Championships with 700.5 points. Stanford finished first with 962.0. Lenny
Krayzelburg won both the 100 and 200 backstrokes while Bela Szabados won
the 200 freestyle. Philippe Demers took second in the 200 free and the 200
butterfly. USC's 400 medley and 800 free relays also finished second.
Justin Dumais won all three diving specialties and has already defended all
three titles at the Men's Pac-10 Diving Championships held last week.
* MEN'S PAC-10 DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
USC sophomore All-American Justin
Dumais gave USC a solid head start in the race for the Pac-10 team title as
he successfully defended his titles in the 1-meter springboard, 3-meter
springboard and the platform at the 1999 Men's Pac-10 Diving Championships
last week in Federal Way, Wash. Dumais not only won all three events but
posted Pac-10 records in each specialty (breaking his own marks in both
springboard events). He won the 1-meter with 597.0 points, the 3-meter with
658.05 and the platform with 823.95. USC junior Shawn Schuessler finished
fifth in the 3-meter (422.10) and sixth in the 1-meter (400.85) and the
platform (455.0). Freshman James Wells took sixth in the 3-meter (396.70),
seventh in the platform (447.70) and eighth in the 1-meter (374.45)
* USC SUPERLATIVES
USC Coach Mark Schubert has built a talented men's
squad that is teeming with national and international-caliber swimmers,
many of whom will be competing for either the U.S. or their respective
countries following the conclusion of the collegiate season. Senior
All-American Mike Williams and sophomore All- American Philippe Demers will
swim for the U.S. at the World Short Course Championships in April, as will
seniors Bela Szabados (Hungary) and Mark Kwok (Hong Kong). Sophomore Gabe
Woodward and freshman Mark Warkentin will both compete for the U.S. at the
World University Games and sophomore All-American diver Justin Dumais will
compete at the World Cup Championships.
* 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.
* BELA SZABADOS
A former NCAA title holder in the 200 free, 1998-99
senior Bela Szabados is one of the top freestylers in the nation and has
the potential to final in the 100, 200 and 500 free at the Pac-10s and
NCAAs. He will also continue to be an integral part of the Trojan relays.
Szabados is the two-time defending Pac-10 champion in the 200 free and won
the 500 free as a sophomore. He is a nine-time All-American, finishing as a
three-time honoree each of the past three years, and holds the USC record
in the 200 free (1:34.36). He currently holds USC's top times in the 100
(44.33), 200 (1:36.64) and 500 (4:21.83) free and is second in the 200 fly
(1:49.03). All are NCAA consideration times.
* MIKE WILLIAMS
Mike Williams, a 1998-99 senior All-American co-captain,
is a major contributor for Troy in both the free and fly sprint corps, with
NCAA finalist potential. He finalled in the 100 free and the 100 fly at the
1998 Pac-10s. He is a five-time All-American at USC.
* PHILIPPE DEMERS
One of the most versatile swimmers in the Pac-10,
1998-99 sophomore All-American Philippe Demers can score at the NCAA level
in either the free, fly or IM events for the Trojans. A year ago at the
NCAAs, he was the only USC swimmer to score in three individual events. At
the 1998 Pac-10s, Demers finished second in both the 200 fly and the 200
free. Demers currently holds USC's top time in the 200 fly (1:47.51, NCAA
consideration), is second in the 100 back (51.08) and is also a key
component on relays.
* GABE WOODWARD
A talented freestyler, 1998-99 sophomore Gabe Woodward
has become one of USC's top sprinters and will look to post contributions
at the both the Pac-10 and NCAA Championships. At the 1998 Pac-10s,
Woodward was a consolation finalist in the 100 and 200 free and looks to
improve on that. He currently has USC's top time in the 50 free (20.45) and
is second in the 100 free (45.06) and is a frequent leadoff on freestyle
relays.
* MARK KWOK
Mark Kwok, who holds numerous records in Hong Kong, is a
national-level swimmer in the middle- distance free, IM and 200 fly events.
The 1998-99 senior co-captain is coming off a superb junior campaign and
looks to continue his point-scoring efforts at both the Pac-10 and NCAA
level. At the 1998 Pac-10 Championships, Kwok finalled in the 500 and 1650
free as well as in the 400 IM.
* BRET AWBREY
Coming off of his second consecutive All-American season,
1998-99 junior Bret Awbrey is one of the Pac-10's top butterflyers and
distance freestylers and has NCAA finalist potential in both specialties.
At the 1998 Pac-10 Championships, Awbrey, a key member of USCs relay
efforts, reached the finals in the 200 fly, the 500 free and the 400 IM. He
currently has USC's top time in the 100 fly (50.00) and has the second
fastest times in the 200 free (1:39.42) and 400 IM (3:59.97). He also has
posted an NCAA consideration time in the 200 fly (1:49.10).
* RYOSUKE IMAI
Sophomore Ryosuke Imai, a native of Japan in his first
year with the Trojans, has become USC's top breaststroker. He currently has
the Trojans' best times in both the 100 (55.08, NCAA consideration) and the
200 (1:57.81, NCAA automatic), the latter serving as the second-best time
in the nation this year.
* JUSTIN DUMAIS
An All-American performer, 1998-99 sophomore Justin
Dumais is one of the top college divers in the nation and could challenge
for NCAA titles in both springboard events. He defended all three of his
titles at the 1999 Pac-10 Men's Diving Championships, winning the 1- and
3-meter springboards as well as the platform event, setting records in each
competition.
* NEWCOMERS
Among USC's top newcomers are freshmen Mark Warkentin and
Nick Kaschik. Warkentin competed for the U.S. at the 1998 Goodwill Games
and has finalled in at least one race in every U.S.S. National meet since
1995. He currently holds USC's top times in the 1000 free (9:09.43) and the
400 IM (3:54.93, NCAA consideration) and is third in the 200 free (1:39.74)
and the 500 free (4:26.97, NCAA consideration). Kaschik, another U.S.
national-level swimmer who won the 200m IM at the 1996 U.S. Open, boasts
USC's top mark in the 200 IM (1:50.28, NCAA consideration) and is second in
the 200 back (1:48.73) and the 100 breast (56.65) and is third in the 100
back (52.26) and the 200 breast (2:04.02). The Trojans have also added a
talented backstroker in sophomore Leonardo Costa. Costa, from Rio de
Janiero, Brazil, joined the team in the spring semester and has already
posted USC
