University Southern California Trojans
Men's Swimming, Diving At NCAAs
March 21, 2000 | Men's Swimming & Diving
March 21, 2000
LOS ANGELES - The USC men's swimming team (5-2 overall, 2-2 in the Pac-10) will compete at the 2000 NCAA Championships Thursday through Saturday (March 23-25) at the University Aquatics Center on the University of Minneapolis campus. Prelims begin each day at noon and finals begin at 7 p.m. (CST).
RANKINGS - USC is ranked No. 6 in the March 9 edition of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Top 25 poll.
USC AT THE 2000 PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS - The Trojans, for the second consecutive season, finished third at the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, March 2-4 in Federal Way, Wash. Stanford won the meet with 794 points, followed by California (762) and USC (699.5). Junior breaststroker Ryosuke Imai was the lone USC Pac-10 champion this year, sweeping both the 100y and 200y breaststrokes in school-record times. He won the 100y breast in 53.83 and the 200y breast in 1:56.58. Sophomores Mark Warkentin and Nick Kaschik both finalled in three events. Warkentin was third in the 500y free (4:20.30) and fourth in both the 1650y free (15:11.09) and 400y IM (3:48.11). Kaschik was fifth in both the 200y IM (1:47.39) and the 200y back (1:46.15) and eighth in the 400y IM (3:54.59).
USC AT THE 1999 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS - The Trojans took sixth at the 1999 NCAAs with 286.5 points, 15 points out of fourth. Freestyler Bela Szabados highlighted USC's efforts with a pair of seconds in the 200y and 500y free and a fourth in the 100y free. The only other individual to final in three events was sophomore diver Justin Dumais (who has since transferred to Texas). He was third in the 1-meter and platform and fifth in the 3-meter. USC's best relay was the 800y free, as the team of Philippe Demers, Bret Awbrey, Mark Kwok and Szabados finished second.
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. There was sophomore Mark Warkentin winning four gold medals at the 1999 University Games, not to mention his five medals won at the 1999 U.S. Spring and Summer Nationals. Junior Leonardo Costa won a gold and a bronze at the 1999 Pan Am Games and junior Ryosuke Imai earned a bronze at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships. Among USC's returning medalists at the U.S. Nationals were Warkentin, Bret Awbrey, Joe Curreri and newcomer Erik Vendt.
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.
MARK WARKENTIN - USC's top returning swimmer from a year ago, 2000 sophomore Mark Warkentin is again one of the top mid-to-distance freestylers in the country after coming off a four-gold medal performance at the 1999 World University Games. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Warkentin took third in the 500y free (4:20.30) and fourth in both the 400y IM (3:48.41) and the 1650y free (15:11.09). Warkentin has posted NCAA automatic times in the 500y free (4:20.30, USC's top time of the year) and the 400y IM (3:47.62, a personal best, USC' top time of the year and it makes him the third-fastest ever at USC). He also has NCAA consideration times in the 200y free (1:37.61) and the 1650y free (15.11.09). At the 1999 U.S. Open, Warkentin was eighth in the 400m free (3:57.31, LC) and ninth in the 1500m free (15:46.08).
ERIK VENDT - One of the top freshmen distance swimmers in the country, Erik Vendt has already had a major impact on the Trojans. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Vendt was second in the 400y IM (3:48.00) and the 1650y free (15:07.51) and ninth in the 500y free (4:20.87). His 1650y free time of 14:54.30 set a USC pool record earlier this year, is an NCAA automatic time and makes him the third-fastest ever at USC. He also has NCAA automatics in the 500y free (4:20.48) and the 400y IM (3:48.00, USC's fourth-fastest swimmer ever in the event). His time in the 1000y free (8:55.41) makes him the second-fastest ever in the event in USC history. At the 1999 U.S. Open, Vendt was third in the 1500m free (15.24.22, LC), sixth in the 400m free (3:55.61, LC) and ninth in the 400m IM (4:24.59, LC).
RYOSUKE IMAI - Ryosuke Imai, a junior from Japan, is the fastest breaststroker in USC history and a definite contender for NCAA titles in his specialties. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Imai broke school records in the 100y and 200y breast events en route to titles in both races. He first posted a school record time of 53.83 in the 100y breast and then complemented it with a USC record 1:56.58 in the 200y breast. They were the first Pac-10 titles in the breast events for the Trojans since 1994 (Marc Farion, 200y). Both breast times are NCAA automatics and he also has an NCAA consideration time of 1:49.89 in the 200y IM, an event in which he took 14th at Pac-10s. He also swims the breast in the relays for the Trojans. At the 1999 U.S. Open, Imai was fifth in the 100m breast (1:03.60, LC) and was 14th in the 200m breast (2:22.41, LC).
PHILIPPE DEMERS - One of the most versatile swimmers in the Pac-10, 1999-2000 junior Philippe Demers, coming off back-to-back All-American campaigns, can score at the NCAA level in either the free, fly or IM events for the Trojans and is invaluable on relays. He has posted USC's top time this year in the 200y fly (1:45.09, NCAA automatic, personal best, fifth-fastest Trojan in school history) and has NCAA consideration times in the 200y free (1:38.89) and the 200y IM (1:49.86). His 200m fly time of 2:00.43 is also a consideration mark. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Demers was fourth in the 200y fly (1:45.48), 15th in the 200y free (1:40.13) and 16th in the 200y IM (1:51.68).
BRET AWBREY - A three-time All-American and one of the best butterflyers in the country, 1999-2000 senior Bret Awbrey is also a fine distance freestyler with NCAA finalist potential in both specialties. He is a co-captain for this year's team. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Awbrey was sixth in the 200y free (1:37.05), seventh in the 200y fly (1:46.89) and eighth in the 500y free (4:28.27). He has posted NCAA consideration times in the 200y free (1:36.95), 500y free (4:23.22) and the 200y fly (1:46.89). He also has a consideration time in the 200m fly (2:00.37) and in the 200m free (1:49.14). He is also an important member of the Trojans' relay squads. He was named to the 2000 Pac-10 All-Academic first team for the third straight year. He also competed at the 1999 U.S. Open.
LEONARDO COSTA - Another in a line of fantastic USC backstrokers, 1999-2000 junior Leonardo Costa is a 1999 Pan American gold medalist and returning All-American who will challenge for NCAA titles in both backstroke specialties. He holds USC's top times in both the 100y (48.14, NCAA consideration) and the 200y back (1:44.65, NCAA consideration) and his short course meter times of 54.67 in the 100 back and 1:58.08 in the 200 back are also NCAA consideration times. He also posted an NCAA consideration time in the 200y IM (1:49.76). At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Costa was third in the 200y back (1:44.65), fourth in the 100y back (48.14) and 13th in the 200y IM (1:49.76). He is also a key in both medley and free relays.
THOMAS KEREKJARTO - A 1999-2000 sophomore and a native of Hungary, Thomas Kerekjarto joined the USC team in the spring semester and has proven to be one of the top IM swimmers in the country. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Kerekjarto was third in the 200y IM (1:47.06), sixth in the 400y IM (3:50.11) and 13th in the 200y fly (1:48.83). His time of 1:47.06 in the 200y IM is an NCAA automatic qualifying time and makes him the sixth-fastest Trojan ever in the event. His times of 3:50.11 in the 400y IM and 1:48.01 in the 200y fly (1:48.01) are both NCAA consideration times. At the 1999 U.S. Open, he took seventh in the 400m IM (4:29.72, LC) and 13th in the 200m fly (2:04.74, LC).
SLAWEK RICHTER - A fantastic junior breaststroker, Slawek Richter will challenge for All-American honors in both breast events. He was the USC record-holder in the 100y breast before teammate Ryosuke Imai broke the mark at the 2000 Pac-10 Championships. Richter's old mark was 54.44 and he went under it at the Pac-10s this year, taking third in 54.11, making him the second-fastest Trojan ever in the event. In the 200y breast, Richter was eighth in 2:00.31. He was also eighth in the 200y IM in 1:49.57. His time of 54.11 in the 100y breast is an NCAA automatic time and his times of 1:59.39 in the 200y breast and 1:48.51 in the 200y IM are both NCAA consideration times. He also competed in four events at the 1999 U.S. Open.
NICK KASCHIK - A 1999-2000 sophomore, Nick Kaschik is a versatile swimmer who looks to build on his NCAA debut as a freshman and take the next step as a point-scoring contributor at the NCAAs individually and on relays. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Kaschik was fifth in both the 200y IM (1:47.39) and the 200y back (1:46.15) and was eighth in the 400y IM (3:54.59). He also swam the fly on USC's third-place 400y medley relay. He has posted an NCAA automatic time in the 200y IM (1:47.14) and consideration times in the 400y IM (3:50.76) and in the 200y back (1:45.79).
GABE WOODWARD - A talented sprint freestyler, 1999-2000 junior Gabe Woodward, one of USC's fastest sprinters ever, will look to build upon his first All-American season a year ago and continue his progression as one of the Trojans' top contributors. At the 2000 Pacific-10 Conference Championships, Woodward was fourth in the 100y free (43.81), sixth in the 50y free (20.17) and 29th in the 200y free (1:41.99). He also anchored USC's 400y medley relay and led off the 400y free relay, both of which finished third. He has NCAA consideration times in both the 50y (19.96) and the 100y free (43.81).
MIKE GAUSMAN - Michael Gausman, a 1999-2000 freshman, is a rising talent in the fly and IM events and hopes to provide USC the same kind of depth at the NCAAs as he did at his first Pac-10 meet. At the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, Gausman took fifth in the 200y fly (1:46.08), ninth in the 400y IM (3:52.11) and 12th in the 200y IM (1:49.74). His 200y fly time of 1:46.08 is an NCAA automatic and he has consideration times in the 200y IM (1:49.74) and the 400y IM (3:52.11). He also posted a consideration time in the 200m fly (2:00.42). At the 1999 U.S. Open, he was 17th in the 200m fly (2:04.23, LC) and also competed in both IM events.
