Nov. 13, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. –
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In its only home dual-meet action of the fall semester, the University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team (0-3) will welcome a trio of teams — #19 BYU (2-0), Iowa (2-1), and Louisville (2-8) — for a quadrangular meet on Friday, beginning at 2 p.m. (EST) in the Rolfs Aquatic Center. The Irish have never before faced the Cardinals or the Hawkeyes, who are receiving votes in the latest national rankings, while the Cougars also will be making their first trip to Notre Dame.
LAST TIME IN THE POOL: Despite taking three of the top four positions in six of 11 swimming events, Notre Dame (0-3) fell 125.5-113.5 to Michigan State last Friday in the Charles McCaffree Pool. Depth allowed the Irish to outscore the Spartans by 14 points in the swimming competition, although Michigan State finished first in seven races. Nowhere was the Irish depth more apparent than in the 50-yard freestyle, where Notre Dame took the top three places, with freshman Tim Kegelman (Yorktown, Va./Tabb H.S.) winning in his first time swimming the event on the collegiate level, with a time of 21.77.
Notre Dame took three of the top four spots in five other events, highlighted by the 400 freestyle relay, which featured a 1-2 Irish finish. The quartet of freshmen Louis Cavadini (South Bend, Ind./Riley H.S.) and Ted Brown (Kokomo, Ind./Western H.S.), junior Frank Krakowski (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Preparatory School), and senior co-captain Matt Obringer (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School) finished first in 3:08.16, the top Irish time of the season. The Irish finished first, third, and fourth in both the 100 and 1,000 freestyle. In the former, Krakowski led the way in 47.49, while sophomore Patrick Davis (Clearwater, Fla./Jesuit H.S.) won the 1,000 by nearly five seconds, in 9:33.96.
Michigan State won the 200 individual medley and 200 butterfly, but Notre Dame saw its swimmers take the next three spots in both races. Michigan State outtouched the Irish in both the 200 IM and the 200 free, winning those races by a combined .08 seconds in what would turn out to be two keys to the Spartan victory. MSU’s Ian Clutten touched out Irish junior David Moisan (Fisherville, Ky./Louisville Male H.S.) for first place by .06 seconds in the former, while spartan Jason Vadney reached the wall .02 seconds ahead of Brown in the 200 free. Notre Dame also got three other runner-up finishes.
COUGARS, HAWKEYES, AND CARDINALS: Notre Dame welcomes three non-traditional opponents to the Rolfs Aquatic Center on Friday. The Irish have never before faced Louisville or Iowa in dual-meet action, and have competed against BYU just twice previously. The Cougars have won both meetings with the Irish, in 1993 (199-100) and ’94 (191-108) in Provo, Utah. The field is part of a trend of new opponents on the 2003-04 Notre Dame slate. Of the 13 opponents on the dual-meet schedule, four had never previously competed against the Irish. Only six Notre Dame foes had swum against the Irish more than twice prior to this season.
BYU is ranked 19th in the nation after being 18th in the preseason. The Cougars are 2-0 this season, having posted victories against Utah and UNLV. Brigham Young was 8-0 in dual meets a year ago, winning the Mountain West Conference championship and finishing 19th in the final CSCAA rankings. The Cougars had four qualifiers for the NCAA Championships and finished 22nd with 22 points. Three of those qualifiers were divers: Justin Beardall, Scott Randall, and Aaron Russell. Russell was fourth in one-meter diving and 10th in three-meter diving, but graduated last spring. The other two return, as does senior Randy Belliston, who qualified for the NCAAs in the 400 IM (finished 28th), 200 IM (34th), and 200 breaststroke (37th). The Cougars returned 12 letterwinners from that squad. Head coach Tim Powers, the president of the CSCAA and a bishop in the mormon church, is in his 27th season leading the BYU program, having compiled a 224-86 (.723) dual-meet record.
Iowa received two votes in this week’s national rankings, coming in as the third team outside the top 25. The Hawkeyes are 2-1, having defeated Michigan State (180.5-117.5) and Purdue and lost to #14 Wisconsin. Iowa was 3-5 in dual meets a year ago, finishing ninth in the Big Ten Championships, and the Hawkeyes returned 22 of 25 letterwinners from tha team, including Timo Klami, who qualified for the NCAA Championships in diving (15th in 3-meter, 33rd in 1-meter). Head coach John Davey is in his sixth season as Hawkeyes head coach, with a 10-26 (.278) dual-meet record.
Louisville has been busy this season, having already taken part in 10 dual meets. The Cardinals are 2-8, having wins over Eastern Illinois and Boston College. Among the teams defeating Louisville were BIG EAST foes Virginia Tech and West Virginia. The Cardinals were 3-8-1 a year ago and returned 15 of 18 letterwinners from that team. Head coach Albert Albiero is in his first year at the helm of the Louisville program.
BIG EAST QUALIFIERS: Despite having only participated in three dual meets and one relay invitational, Notre Dame already has had 12 of its 29 student-athletes qualify for the BIG EAST Championships. In order to gain entrance to the conference meet, one must achieve an “A” qualifying time in at least one event. Once in the field, a student-athlete may participate in up to two additional events in which he has achieved a “B” qualifying time. Seven other Irish swimmers have posted “B” times, but not “A” marks.
A pair of freshmen, Ted Brown (Kokomo, Ind./Western H.S.) and Tim Kegelman (Yorktown, Va./Tabb H.S.), are leading the way, having each already posted “A” qualifying marks in three different events. Brown has posted team-best times in gaining automatic entrance to the BIG EAST Championships in the 200 (1:41.56), 500 (4:37.00), and 1650 freestyle (15:57.97). His times already have positioned him as the ninth-fastest Irish swimmer ever in the 200 and the 11th-quickest in the mile. Brown also has “B” qualifying times in the 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley.
Kegelman also holds the top times on the team in three races: the 100 and 200 butterfly (1:52.11) and the 200 individual medley (1:54.42). In his first time swimming the race collegiately, he posted a 49.89 in the 100 fly, immediately establishing himself as the second-fastest Irish swimmer in history in the event. His 200 fly time makes him the ninth-fastest in Notre Dame history.
Junior David Moisan (Fisherville, Ky./Louisville Male H.S.) and sophomore Steve Shomberger (Spotsylvania, Va./Courtland H.S.) each have put up “A” times in two events. Moisan is the team leader in the 200 breaststroke (2:08.47) and also has qualified in the 200 IM (1:55.04). Shomberger has “A” marks in the 100 (52.54) and 200 backstroke (1:52.59).
Junior Frank Krakowski (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Preparatory School) has an “A” time in the 100 butterfly (51.22), an event in which he holds the University record, while having also turned in “B” times in the 50 and 100 freestyle.
Three sophomores have one “A” time and one “B” time. Doug Bauman (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Preparatory School) has qualified in the 100 backstroke (52.54) and has a “B” in the 200. Patrick Davis (Clearwater, Fla./Jesuit H.S.) is in the league meet in the 1650 freestyle (15:58.44) and has a “B” in the 500. Tyler Grenda (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum H.S.) qualified in the 200 breaststroke (2:08.70) and has a “B” time in the 100 (59.82).
Sophomores Tim Randolph (Crown Point, Ind./Merrillville H.S.) and Patrick Heffernan (Norcorss, Ga./Norcross H.S.) have “A” times in the 100 breaststroke (58.75) and the 200 butterfly (1:53.93), respectively. Freshmen Brian Freeman (Sanger, Calif./Immanuel H.S.) and Scott Coyle (Indianapolis, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern H.S.) also have clinched spots in the BIG EAST meet, in the 200 backstroke (1:52.86) and one-meter diving (276.67), respectively.
RARE QUADRANGULAR: Friday’s quadrangular dual meet is a rare form of competition for the Irish. It marks just the second time in the 46-year history of varsity swimming and diving at Notre Dame that the Irish will participate in a quadrangular dual meet. The only other four-way dual meet came on Feb. 8, 1985 in Indianapolis, Ind., when Notre Dame beat St. Louis, Vincennes, and Xavier.
CHALLENGING SLATE: Notre Dame will face a total of six teams this season that are currently ranked or receiving votes in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America’s national top 25. Leading the way is defending BIG EAST champion Pittsburgh (Jan. 16-17, away) at 18th, with BYU (Nov. 14, home) at 19th, Northwestern (Jan. 24, away) 20th, and North Carolina (L, 111.5-181.5) tied for 21st. Harvard (Dec. 4-6 in Notre Dame Invitational) is the first team receiving votes, while Iowa (Nov. 14, home) is third in that group.
TOUGH START: This is just the third time in the 46-year history of the program that the Irish have opened with three consecutive dual-meet defeats (also 1976-77 and 1999-2000). Notre Dame has never started 0-4, though the first-ever varsity team tied its first meet before losing four straight prior to securing a victory in 1958-59.
DYNAMIC DIVING: The diving well of the Rolfs Aquatic Center will see some outstanding competition on Friday, as three of the 35 NCAA qualifiers from a year ago will be in action. Iowa senior Timo Klami (15th in 3-meter in ’03 NCAAs, 33rd in 1-meter) will be joined by BYU senior Justin Beardall (18th in 1m, 21st in 3m) and junior Scott Randall (25th in 1m, 29th in 3m). The Cougars had three divers qualify for last year’s NCAA Championships, with Aaron Russell (4th in 1m, 10th in 3m) graduating in the spring.
YOUTHFUL AIRS: This year’s Irish team has a definite youthful side to it. Of the 29 student-athletes, only eight have more than one previous season of collegiate experience. There are just four members of the class of 2003 and also just four juniors, while 10 sophomores and 11 freshmen fill out the roster.
KEEPING UP WITH NOTRE DAME MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING: For the fastest results of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving meets, call the Notre Dame Sports Hotline at (574) 631-3000 and choose #7. The hotline provides schedule and results information for all 26 varsity sports and serves as a supplement to the meet previews and recaps provided on the official athletic website, www.und.com. The hotline is the first medium updated with the results of each Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving meet. In addition, media members and fans may be added to the sports information e-mail release list by contacting Bo Rottenborn at Rottenborn.2@nd.edu. He also can provide any needed information about the Irish men’s swimming and diving program.