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Morning practice at Fresno State Photo: Jeanne Fleck
Bente Heller looks in disbelief. She was shocked to see she became the first NCAA champ in school history. Photo: Scott Lemley
Boston College team shirt
Chacour Koop from EIU.! Photo; Sandy King, EIU Sport Information Dept.
Brandon Intrieri , Allegheny College Photo: Amelia Armstrong
Harvard Women’s Swimming team
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Welcome to the 2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors. This publication exists to showcase the great stories of the most recent collegiate swimming and diving season. Given the effort required to be successful in our sport, it is important that this body of work accurately represent those exceptional efforts by the athletes as well as all involved. Like any previous season, there is much to cover as it was an eventful year in our sport.
This publication, now in its fourth year, will continue to get better with each successive attempt. One staple is to include writers from the aquatic profession to provide their own perspective on what happened in and around the
water this season. And as we go forward, a constant objective will be to further increase participation and expand coverage to make this the most complete documentation possible.
Please consider this your invitation to contribute to the next publication in 2013-14. We welcome your content and will be happy to include you in the process. In closing, feel very free to provide your comments, ideas, and suggestions. Go Swimming & Diving!Bill Roberts, editor
Front Cover; Tom Shields, California. (Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com.)Above; Bubble rings created by Nova Southeastern swimmer (submitted by Coach Hollie Bonwit-Cron)Center; :40.76 by Vlad Morozov, USC, (Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com.)
Table of Contents
Introduction!! ! ! 4-52012-13 Honorees ! ! 6-47Voting Comparison ! 48-53more Author profiles ! 55-56Noteworthy!! ! 57
to learn more, visit www.collegeswimmingawards.com
3
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Taking nothing for granted: Some brief thoughts on the 2012-13 collegiate season.
A significant administrative change was implemented in 2013 with respect to how the NCAA championship field is determined. For the women, the field of competitors went from 30 or 31 per individual event to 38 from 2012 to 2013. For the men, the number increased from 17 or 18 to 29. Twelve female and thirty-four male scorers in 2013 would not have even made the meet in 2012. Matt Barber (Arizona) & David Szele (UNLV) both were the 29th and last entrant in the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke respectively. Both were able to make the most of the opportunity to earn a second swim at NCAAs. For the women, one program that achieved this trick on multiple occasions was UNC. Tar Heel swimmer Danielle Siverling worked her way into the top eight of the 400IM from the 44th position on the psych sheet.
Another significant change to the way of business is the ongoing conference realignment which made it’s way into swimming and diving. Most prominent in 2012-13 was the addition up and comer Missouri and perennial national power Texas A&M to the already jam-packed SEC. West Virginia competed in their first BigXII championship with many more moves set to take place in 2014.
Keeping the focus on the student-athlete.
As already mentioned, the College Swimming and Diving
Honors is now in the fourth year of existence. One constant objective is to grow the document at pace that provides a quality annual publication that can be enjoyed by all. To do so this year, the plan is to continue to keep the focus on the writing and the imagery. In terms of writing, in addition to several coaches and professionals who contribute, we have increased the amount of content that provides an athlete’s perspective. This year, we are honored to include work by four current student athletes; Erin Fuss (Nevada), Rachel Flinn and Syd Lindblom (Kenyon) & Alyssa Swanson (Denison.) Rachel, Syd and Alyssa are members of two storied Division III programs who share their Denison-Kenyon dual meet experience. Alyssa Swanson, a senior captain provides a first-hand account of the day including the pivotal moments of the contest. (Note: Alyssa was integral in the team’s win that day which included securing the first win of the day for her team.)
A category returns in 2013.Though not a voting category, we
included and want to recognize the most impressive nominated walk on athletes. In speaking with coaches, you soon learn that definition of the term walk-on will differ by person. In this case, we make an attempt to focus on the non-recruited walk on athlete. Returning writer Josh Huger (SwimUtopia & IUP Swimming) will introduce two determined student-athletes who made the most of their time in the water & on the boards as
collegiate athletes. This type of story never gets old as we are happy to present JHU swimmer Dylan Coggin and Pepperdine diver Klaire Korver.
A thousand words many times over.
Actual imagery and photos always make for better story telling. Once again, it is a pleasure and an honor to include the photography of Tim Binning. You may recognize his name as his work provides much of the photo content for SwimSwam. In addition, Tim Binning’s work is available for viewing on his website, TheSwimPictures.com. Though the act of taking a photo is made easier with technology in the 21st century, it still takes a ton of skill and experience to capture a telling image which is evident in each Tim Binning photograph.
Imagine ExcellenceI cannot say enough good things
about the work of Casey Barrett. Through the school of swimming known as Imagine Swimming, Casey is integrally involved in teaching swimming in New York City. In addition, he covers important swimming and diving issues which can be viewed on his website, http://
capandgoggles.com/ His range of topics as well has his ability to effectively convert thoughts into words makes him one of the best in my opinion. In honor of Michigan’s tremendous season in 2012-13, we are including Casey’s piece on that program in the Impact section later within this publication.
Continued on next page.....
Introduction:A Medley of Ideas
4
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Props go out to everyone whose name and/or program appear in this
year’s publication. This year more than ever there are multiple athletes and teams who are deserving of even
more credit. In doing the research this year, I became intrigued by the
number of first-time NCAA qualifiers late in their athletic careers. As we know, this determination to pursue an
always uncertain outcome (in this case
of making the meet) is one of the most valuable lessons of
the sport. Each athlete/team in the
honorable mention pages have a very compelling story
which I wish we had the time and
resources to cover. How can you not enjoy seeing
someone going from not being at the meet in 2012 to
winning an event in 2013 as Drew teDuits of Whitney HIte’s Wisconsin Badgers did in the 200 Backstroke
back in March. (see Honorable Mention-Male Break Out Athletes.)
More athletes doing great things.
Awesome job goes out to senior Daniel Kanoor (Indiana) in getting to
his first NCAA meet this year (pictured below.) Similarly and on the women’s side, UCLA’s Andrea Reigel
made her first and only NCAA meet last March. Neither took in enough
votes to appear in the honorable mention page. However, each of their progressions are too impressive not
to mention. Others names with similar rates of improvement include
Zach Holmes (Ohio State) & Carly Tanner (UNCW.) Job well done to say the very least!
Breaking OutOne of the most difficult
assignments is that of break out
athlete. In the case for this year, there were numerous people who had
a break out seasons. The two profiled in this publication and as voted for are two you cannot say
enough about. Their performances will be talked about for years (or at
least until until next year as we are fortunate enough) to get to witness more from each athlete.) Returning
guest writer and Coach Damion Dennis (West Virginia) re-tells the
story about the performances of Kevin Cordes and Liz Pelton. Both lived up to high
expectations and were nothing short of blazing fast back in
March.
Masters of the other side of delegation.Similar to the athletes, assistant coaches do a lot as we could
dedicate an entire publication towards the many superb right-hand men and women in our
sport. Amy Finn (Lake Forest College) writes about two exceptional
people who also serve as assistant coaches ....at least for the time being. Three assistant coaches listed in
2012 publication coincidentally are now head coaches; Carol Capitani
(Texas)Ted Knapp (Stanford), Greg Meehan (Stanford.)
Introduction continued....
Reigel HS Fresh Soph Junior Senior Imp
200 IM 2:04.54 2:05.15 2:02.29 1:59.05 1:57.31 :07.23
400IM 4:25.56 not listed 4:23.95 4:16.83 4:10.51 :15.05
200 Back 2:01.57 1:57.50 1:57.57 1:56.33 1:56.46 :05.11
Andrea Reigel, UCLA ’13....dropped a ton of time to make first NCAA meet in 2013 ....Just missed swimming at night in 400 IM...by .01
5
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Katie Boland, JRColumbia University
Sarah Burris, SRPepperdine
Zack Doherty, SRDartmouth College
Katie Fago, FRMary Washington
Nikki Longland, JR University of Nevada
Jake Roberts, FREastern Illinois
Vance Solseth, FRMary Washington
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
Some notes about the recognized walk on athletes....This section is dedicated for the athlete who was told during recruitment that they would have to try out for the team as a walk on swimmer or diver. Also included are the athletes who simply arrive on campus unknown to the coach who make the team as a walk on as well. We have elected to not include the person who was recruited, was offered a spot on the team yet no financial assistance.
Walk On Athletes
6
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
From starting her high school’s first diving team her senior year at
Pinewood School to winning the 2013 College Swimming and Diving Honors award for Walk on Diver, Pepperdine
University’s Klaire Korver has had a remarkable four years.
With such significant achievements on her resume before she even began her college career, it
is no wonder Pepperdine’s Head Coach Nick Rodionoff immediately
knew Korver was going to be a special student-athlete.
“The first day I met her we made
an instant connection,” said Rodionoff. “She is very coachable. It
started out great and just kept getting better.”
During her freshman season, Korver was a Pepperdine Scholar-
Athlete, placing 11th on the 3-meter and 14th on the 1-meter at the Pacific Collegiate Swimming & Diving
Conference Championships. These were noteworthy finishes considering
Korver was relatively new to the sport of diving. These successes motivated Korver to strive for more.
“Knowing that it’s not going to be easy to reach your goals and learning
how to relish in the process to attain them have been key points for me,” stated Korver. “It’s easier to be
physically and mentally lazy whether it’s learning a
new dive, lifting in the weight room,
rehabbing injuries,
studying for a test, or deciding what
to get at the grocery store;
however, continued on page 9.....
KlairE korver by Josh Huger
Female Walk On Athlete
7
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Sometimes an athlete can find his or herself with an opportunity that many people will never have in their lifetime. When the opportunity presents itself, the athlete can choose to either take it for granted or make the most of it. In the case of Johns Hopkins University’s Dylan Coggin, he chose the latter.
In the spring of 2009, Coggin, then a high school senior, came
into JHU Head Coach George Kennedy’s office with top times that didn’t turn too many heads and told him he wanted to swim. Instead of turning him away, Coach Kennedy saw potential in the young swimmer and gave him a chance.
As a freshman, Coggin did not make the Blue Jays’ scoring conference team. Despite not
making the conference team, Coggin steadily improved his times and decided he wanted to get more out of the sport. This desire caused him to make a radical change.
“I started hitting the weights hard (and smart) during my junior and senior year and felt that my increased strength/bodyweight ratio certainly correlated to time
drops,” said Coggin. “Work ethic-wise, I always tried to be the first one in the weight room and I was certainly the last one out. If I wasn’t drenched head to toe and sore everywhere from the neck down, I wasn’t satisfied”
continued on next page.....
DYlan COggin
by Josh Huger
Male Walk On Athlete
8
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Klaire Korver continued......the patience and discipline to
strive for my highest potential are what have helped me the most.”
Korver’s patience and discipline allowed her to once again achieve Scholar-Athlete distinctions during her sophomore season. As a junior she continued to improve; earning Pepperdine Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, PCSC All-Academic team honors and PCSC All-Conference awards in the 3-meter.
Korver’s senior year proved to be the exclamation point to an already extremely successful collegiate career. During the 2013 Pacific Collegiate Swimming & Diving Conference Championships she was selected as the PCSC Division I Diver of the meet and
was named to the PCSC All-Conference team in the 1-Meter and 3-meter springboard events.
While reflecting upon her time at Pepperdine, Korver attributes her success to her coaches and their constant encouragement.
“Nick and Carrie Rodionoff are not just coaches; they are family,” she said. “They taught me everything that I know about diving (I started the sport when I came to Pepperdine); however, they taught me many more things off the boards rather than on them. Their love for my team is contagious, and the combination of their never-ending encouragement and high standards creates an atmosphere that compels both athletic and personal growth. Competing for Nick and Carrie has been a true
honor and privilege, and I’ll never be able to thank them enough. Go waves.”
...continued from previous pageCoggin’s change and new
attitude was immediately noticed by Coach Kennedy.
“He became a student of the sport and he worked extensively on becoming a great swimmer by understanding that it was up to him to make the changes to improve,” stated Kennedy. “He took this attitude to our whole team and his leadership has been unparalleled.”
As a senior Coggin went 20.29 in the 50fr, 44.28 in the 100fr and split a 1:36.87 in the 200fr, which was the fastest time at DIII NCAAs. His impressive performances helped lead Hopkins to a fourth place finish at the 2013 NCAA
Swimming and Diving Championships.
Looking back on his career, Coggin credits his team and coaching staff for his success. “First and foremost I’d like to thank George Kennedy for seeing my potential and giving me the chance to walk on at Hopkins,” said Coggin. “He gave me the sets and support I needed to go 20.2 (19.5r)/44.2/1:38.2 (1:36.8r). He’s seen a lot of success and it’s no surprise that he was voted into our Athletic Hall of Fame earlier this year. He’s not only made us better swimmers, but better people- a sign of a great coach.”
“Our Coaching staff has given me everything I need to succeed,” added Coggin. “I don’t even know
where to begin. I’d just like to thank them.”
Upon leaving John Hopkins University, Coggin will take with him three school records, numerous top-10 program times, and the honor of being named the 2013 College Swimming and Diving Honors Walk on Male Swimmer.
Walk On Athletes continued
9
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
10
Anastasia Bogdanovski, Johns Hopkins, SO
Faith Johnson, FR Tennessee
Amber Kerico, JRMary Washington
Ivy Martin, SO Wisconsin
Katie Meili, SRColumbia University
Celia Oberholzer, SO Kenyon
Laura Sogar, SRTexas
Kelsi Worrell, FR Louisville
Female Break Out Athlete
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
Big time drops in 2013, 800 Free Relay champs
Amazing first season; SEC champ in 50 Free
D3 All American in multiple events
Broke 22 barrier in 50 FR set multiple Ivy records
D3 Champion: 100 Back NCAA Champion:200 BR
Best times of season came at NCAAs
10
The University of California women’s swimming team has long
been an All-Star team of talent. Coughlin, Cope, Jensen, Hardy, Vollmer and Leverenz are just a few of
the greats to don the Golden Bears’ swim cap, making an impact on the
college swimming landscape. Freshman Liz Pelton may have had the best start to a collegiate career as
any before her.Liz has long been a household
name in the swimming community. This National Team member has dominated meets all over the world
EXCEPT the NCAA Championships. That is, until this year. The Cal
freshman is multi-talented and competed in a wide range of events. Throughout the season she raced in
11 different events, from the 50 free to the 400 IM. In some meets her
workload was more reminiscent of a mid-week practice, swimming in multiple events with the extras being
exhibition. From the outside it looked like Head Coach Teri McKeever was
looking for the perfect alignment of her troops for an all-out assault on the collegiate landscape in March.
March was her month. Liz’s first Conference Championships was full of
surprises. She won the 200 IM and 200 back, with her 200 back time of 1:48.39 breaking the American Record
and being only .05 off of the NCAA record. Just as surprising as her time
in the 200 back was her race in the 200 free. She finished 12th with a time that didn’t see a drop like her
other events did, which left many people scratching their heads and
wondering what happened. However, her domination in the IM and back, along with the new record, still earned
her the title of PAC 12 Swimmer of the Meet.
In Indianapolis, Liz was quietly holding court and everyone else was a witness. The freshman had one of her
best meets of the year. On Thursday Liz swam the 200 IM. Like a
champion chess player, Teri knew the 200 IM was the right move. Liz raced to a 2nd place finish behind teammate
Caitlin Leverenz for a 1-2 Cal finish. Friday brought the 200 free, a star-
studded event filled with NCAA Champions and Olympic Medalists.
continued on page 14.....
Liz Pelton
by Damion Dennis
Female Break Out Athlete
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
11
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
NCAA
Alex Anderson, SOMary Washington
Mohamed Hussein, JR UMBC
David Jakl, SOColumbia University
Colin McGill, JREastern Illinois
Cody Miller, JRIndiana
Vlad Morozov, JR Southern California
Andrew teDuits, SO Wisconsin
Nejc Zupan, JR Dartmouth
D3 National record holder: 400 IM
Redefining Speed!
NCAA Champion: 200 BK All American: 200 BR
UMBC’s first ever NCAA qualifier
Made 1st NCAA meet in 2013: 200 Fly
Made 1st NCAA meet in 2013: 200 Fly
Male Break Out Athlete
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
2013 NCAA: made top eight in three events
12
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
NCAA
There are several individual words that describe the year he has had in the pool. Some may say “Wow” or “Awesome” or even “Dominate.” Eric Hansen, Head Coach of the Arizona Wildcats, might choose “Breakthrough.” This college sophomore had a year for the record books, a year that
catapulted him to the best breaststroker in collegiate history.
A freshman year that saw Kevin grow as an athlete and end as National Champion in the 100 breast and 4-time All American was just the beginning of something great. It is only fitting that Kevin’s sophomore season was destined to have high
expectations and BIG goals. Working very closely with Eric and the Who’s Who of breaststroke groups, Kevin experimented with his stroke, stroke counts, hypoxic training and the balance between being tired and well trained. After posting some exciting sub-54s and -2:03s during the early season meets, it was time for all
of his efforts to pay off. And pay off they did! Posting AMAZING times and breaking the American record in the 200 Breast, Kevin went from being the NCAA favorite in the 100 breaststroke to opening up discussions about what he was capable of doing in both breaststrokes.
continued on page 14.....
Kevin Cordes
by Damion Dennis
Male Break Out Athlete
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
13
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
NCAA
Liz Pelton continued......After an average PAC 12 time, it
looked like it was going to be someone else’s party and Liz was simply invited. But Liz didn’t see it
that way. She raced to a 2nd place finish, again narrowly missing a title.
Saturday would be the day the light really went on, though, and you could see everyone nodding in agreement,
“Yes, she had a great meet.” It was 200 back day.
Racing to an NCAA record in prelims by nearly 2 seconds, it was just a sign of things to come. In finals,
the pool deck was more crammed and packed for the 200 back final than any
event during the meet. With a prelim time of 1:49.62, swimmers, coaches and fans alike were excited to see if
she could repeat her Pac 12 success. With a field filled with NCAA
Champions and Olympians, Liz
showed that competitive confidence and swagger. She dominated the
event, lowering her time to 1:47.84, setting the American, US Open and NCAA records. This was easily the
race of the meet. While other swimmers and teams were the story of
the session or even the day, Liz became the storyline of the meet, winning NCAA Swimmer of the Year.
As an athlete, there is just something about Liz. She has a
swagger. She has an air of confidence. She looks like a competitor who means business. In
the month of March she was all business, establishing herself among
the Greats of Berkeley. To summarize her freshman year:
During the regular season, roughly
70% of the time you could count on her to win her events. In other
instances she would have won the
event but was listed exhibition. She was undefeated in the 200 back and
400 IM. The 50 free and the 200 fly are the only events she didn’t win. UCLA was the only dual meet where
she didn’t record an individual win. During the Championship
season, .71 of a second kept her from being a 3-time National Champion. She had 5 events (100 free, 200 free,
100 back, 200 back, 200 IM) that ranked in the Top 5 at NCAAs. Her
time in the 100 free would have placed 4th, the 200 free was 2nd, the 100 back would have placed 2nd, she won
the 200 back, and the 200 IM was 2nd. Her 400 IM would have placed
at the NCAA Championships as well. She was PAC 12 Swimmer of the Meet and NCAA Swimmer of the Year. It’s
hard to argue that Liz Pelton should not be the Female Breakout Athlete of
2012-2013.
...Kevin Cordes continued March brought the
Championship season, and Indy was the perfect setting. The House of Champions has a rich tradition of swimming history and is THE ideal place for swimmers to become legends.
During the sessions, the deck buzzed with whispers of fable-like times. When it was finally race time, everything became quiet and seemed to be in slow motion. Kevin swam with speed and grace, looking at ease. With each stroke, the anticipation rose. At each 50, all eyes stared at the scoreboard as they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. We all knew we were witnessing something special, very
special. In the end, Kevin set 2 NCAA Records, won 3 National Championships and was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year. Times of 50.74 and 1:48.68 and a 49.56 split shattered the previous marks. Not too bad for a quiet kid with a great work ethic and positive attitude. Even more impressive is that he feels he hasn’t achieved anything yet. Kevin Cordes is the 2012-2013 Male Breakout Athlete.
Break Out Athletes continued
Kevin Cordes: records at
2013 NCAA Championships
100 Breaststroke Prelims
:50.93 AR100 Breaststoke - Finals
:50.74*
200 Breaststroke-Prelims
1:49.79*200 Breaststroke-Finals
1:48.68*
*Indicates all records
14
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Haley Anderson, SRSouthern California
Erin Black, SRNova Southeastern
Rachael Burnett, SRWest Virginia
Devin Lessard, SR Susquehanna
Caitlin Leverenz, SR California
Mallory Morrell, SRBuffalo
Jacqueline Rudolph, SR North Carolina
Heather Savage, SRVirginia Tech
NCAA Champion in both 500 & 1650 in 2013
100 Fly ACC Record Holder again in 2013
Back to back 500 Free championships.
Big XII Champion & Record Holder in 500
School’s First Ever Swimming All American
Consecutive NCAA titles in 200 IM
First Time NCAA qualifier in Senior year
First Time NCAA qualifier in Senior year
Female Career Improvement
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
15
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Sitting down over a cup of coffee at a Minneapolis Starbuck’s, Columbia coach Diana Caskey realized in a moment that she had a budding star across the table from her. Katie Meili was about to begin a journey, from DI prospect “with potential,” to Ivy League Champion and NCAA All-American.
A solid Junior National swimmer, Katie attracted some attention, but landing at Columbia
seemed predestined. Katie said during a visit in her junior year of high school, she knew she belonged there. Her clear-eyed determination is exactly what Coach Caskey needed. Caskey reflects, “she never had her mom wake her up for morning practices in high school, she woke her mom up…every day.” Katie proved a determined young
lady and consummate team player. Her natural stroke technique made her development all the easier.
Motivation and talent were key, but it was her resiliency, according to assistant Coach Michael Sabala, that set her apart from other athletes. At Ivy League Championships during Katie’s sophomore year, she tasted her first major success with an individual title in the 200 IM. The very next day, in the 400 IM (an event in which she was seeded first overall), she failed to make the finals and just squeaked into consols in 16th place. Katie processed the disappointment of the performance and rose to the occasion as she rebounded that evening with a ninth place finish.....
Katie Meili
by Woody WoodardTim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
Female Career Improvement
16
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Katie Meili continuedcontinued from previous page.
...and made finals in her remaining
event. Sabala calls it Meili’s ability to hit the reset button. It was a turning point in her career. Katie swore to
herself that situation would never happen again, and in the coming
months she would add school record holder, Ivy League record holder and 2012 NCAA finalist to her resume.
Challenges and setbacks; building blocks for becoming a great athlete.
She seemed poised for a breakout season in her senior year, when three weeks out from Olympic Trials, she
caught her pinky finger in another swimmer’s dragsuit at the Santa Clara
Grand Prix. She had fractured her hand. She opted for immediate surgery with the hopes that she could
compete at Trials. She did, and while her results were not spectacular, her
resolve was stronger than ever. Katie tore through the Ivy League in her senior season, setting records again
and receiving an invite to Indianapolis. She returned to NCAA’s a seasoned
veteran, if not still an underdog.
A return trip to the NCAA meet in 2013.
As the 2013 Ivy League Championships Swimmer of the Meet, Katie was deserving of respect;
however, that meant very little when the race began. Katie, a gracious and
unassuming girl, raced against some of the titans of the NCAA. On day one, she scored for the first time in the 200
IM finals with a best time and a seventh place finish overall. Since
becoming the first female Columbia swimmer since 2000 to score at NCAAs one year earlier, Katie Meili
was making the case for her place in Columbia swimming and diving
history.Prepping for day two and her best
event. The stage was set for the 100
Breaststroke the following day. Katie swam an incredible 59.14 with a
strong back 50 at night holding onto a third place finish behind Texas A & M’s Olympian Breeja Larson and USC
rising star Kasey Carlson. She didn’t stop there as she racked up a ninth
place in the 200 Breast on Saturday and put her team in sole possession of 21st place. Katie emerged from the
pool that evening and was greeted by smiling coaches and teammates and
said, “a sense of peace came over me as I had accomplished everything I had hoped for as a college athlete.”
Describing the meaning of her athletic participation.
In all, Katie dropped over 27 seconds in her three primary events during her college career; a
remarkable accomplishment. But when asked about what was
important, it’s not what Katie “dropped,” but rather what she “gained” that really mattered most. “I
gained a family. Columbia and it’s people both welcomed me and
challenged me. I’m really lucky to have had this experience.” The rest of us are lucky that Katie has decided to
continue swimming—her best swims are likely still ahead of her.
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Dylan Coggin, SRJohns Hopkins
Andrew Eckhoff, SR UMBC, Diving
Dax Hill, SRTexas
Zach McGinnis, SR VIrginia Tech
Miguel Ortiz, SRMichigan
Tom Shields, SRCalifornia
Wyatt Ubellacker, SRMIT
Michael Weiss, SR Wisconsin
From walk-on in ’09 to JHU’s top sprinter
Swept both boards at conference meet in 2013
4th at NCAAs in the 100 Free with a :42.40
200 Back: 1:50.94 to 1:42.34
NCAA Champion in both 500 & 1650 in 2013
Did not make NCAAs as a freshman. A top
NCAA scorer in 2013.
Ties American Record in final individual swim
Amazing time drops to become a D3 force.
Not at NCAA meet as FR & SO.
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
Male Career Improvement
18
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Looking out a window at Georgetown Law School, the last five
years must seem like a dream. Except that Zack Turk worked every day to make this dream a reality.
How many athletes have improved in every event, in every season? How
many athletes have been members of the Argentinian National Team or served as an intern at a US foreign
Embassy? How many athletes can lay claim to being a champion at both the DIII and DI levels? All of those
accomplishments and attributes, place Zack in some exclusive company.
It began at St. Edwards High School in Ohio, where the sprinter
who had never broken the :21 second barrier had hopes of swimming DI. But a last minute change of heart,
kept Zach right in the heart of Ohio, as he accepted an offer to swim for
legendary Coach Jim Steen and the Kenyon Lords. “I wasn’t sure I would swim more than one year in college,”
said Zack, “but Coach Steen was always so motivating, and innovative
and supportive. I just couldn’t walk away.” continued on page 20.....
Zack Turk
by Woody WoodardTim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
Male Career Improvement
19
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Zack Turk continuedThe further influence of Coach Jim Steen at Kenyon.
Zack racked up accomplishments left and right as he won several individual titles and two NCAA DIII
Team Championships.. With Coach Steen’s support, Zack jumped at the
opportunity to work and study abroad in Spain and Argentina during his junior year, an experience he said that
brought balance to his life. He returned for his senior year and picked
right up where he left off. After an accomplished swimming career and a bright future in public policy looming,
Zack could have easily walked away from the sport and concentrated on
the next stage in his life. He said that never occurred to him. He wanted another season. Coach Steen
intervened again and called Coach Mike Bottom at Michigan.
Understanding new challenges.Zack was seeking enrollment in
Michigan’s prestigious Ford School of
Public Policy, with an opportunity to swim one more year. Coach Bottom
was happy to give Zack an opportunity at the next level. Michigan assistant Coach Mike Hill
said that Zack made the transition from small DIII college to a large DI
public university appear seamless. “He accepted that he would be challenged more regularly by his
teammates during workouts and he didn’t shy away from it.”
First dual meet as a Wolverine.Zack remembers it being a bit
more difficult. In his first meet as part
of the team he faced-off against Texas and recalls the butterflies in his
stomach as he competed against guys that he had only read about. A deep breath and a quick he
remembered that his opponents were just like any other swimmers that he
had squared-off against.
New Division. Similar result.That attitude and confidence has
served him well, as Zack was instrumental in helping Michigan bring
back its’ first NCAA Men’s title in decades. Zack served notice in his first race with an :18.45 split to anchor
the 200 Medley Relay and grab Michigan’s first title of the meet. He
continued to roll with a 2nd place in the 400 Free Relay (:42.16), 3rd place
in the 200 Free Relay, and 11th and 14th place finishes in the 50 and 100
Free events, respectively.
“The journey is what I’ll remember,
not so much the wins.”
Bottom has been quoted as saying that Zack’s ability to use
lessons learned inside the athletic arena to improve his life outside make him a “great living lesson among the
guys.” Zack admittedly replies that his favorite moment in swimming is not
any individual accomplishment, but rather the whole thing. “The journey is what I’ll remember, not so much the
wins. I’m appreciative to all my coaches and teammates for helping
me along the way.”It would seem that whatever life
holds in store for Zack, any person,
community or business would be lucky to have Zack on their team. He
just wins.
“He worries about doing well, but he doesn’t worry about whether his stroke is
working or not. !!Zack’s assets fit well for a coach and team that is not necessarily expecting perfection ... but simply in the
business of having a good time!”Coaching legend Jim Steen
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Four years ago, long before her time competing at the World Championship Trials, or even the NCAA National Championships, Kelly Hendricks made her debut on the pool deck at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). Little did she know what great things would come of it.
Diving at EMU was the first time Hendricks focused solely on the sport. Besides diving, Hendricks also competed in track and field and gymnastics. When she came to EMU, she spent her freshman year behind many of her peers
“Coming to college, I really had no idea of the basics,” Hendricks said. “I didn’t know the same basic skills everyone else did. I struggled
with even simple moves off the 3-meter and 1-meter.”
Despite this learning curve, Hendricks progressed quickly through the ranks. She was described as a natural, and gives credit to her maturity, competitiveness and her coach, Loren “Buck” Smith to her success. Smith saw the potential in Hendricks,
and through the years the duo worked to best maximize this.
“When she first walked on deck, I remember her being really athletic,” Smith said. “But she didn’t know the basics, she didn’t even know how to hold her hands right. Despite that she was one of the quickest learners I ever had. She was quite the natural.”
As Hendricks developed more as an athlete, she quickly shot through the ranks of elite divers. Through her competitive drive and extreme focus on honing her skills, she became one to watch. At her first national meet, it became clear to her coach that Hendricks had a talent that exceeded many others.
continued on next page....
Diving Career ImprovementKelly Hendricks
by Erin FussWalt MIddleton Photography
21
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
continued from previous page...“I took her to her first senior
national meet in 2010 or maybe it was 2011, what I noticed, is this girl didn’t get nervous or intimidated by anyone, ever,” Smith said. “She was not rattled by the high level of competition. That is when I knew she had something special.”
In her junior and senior year, Hendricks continued to shock many, including herself. Qualifying for the NCAA national championships was a huge step in her career. Placing third at the NCAA National Championships the following year, an even bigger one. Competing at the World Championship Trials in May was a capstone for her career, a sort of reward for four years of hard work and dedication.
“Going to worlds after NCAA this year was a really exciting experience,” Hendricks said. “The meet is really relaxed, and most of the girls you’ve already seen. Its
more of a friend experience so it was a good finish to my career.”
Hendricks’s rise to becoming an elite diver was a road that wouldn’t be possible without her teammates and coach, Loren “Buck” Smith. Her favorite experiences in her collegiate career have all been with them by her side, most notably during her senior year training trip in Hawaii. She encourages others to find what they love in life, and to follow it with the same enthusiasm she had done with diving.
“Figure out what you want, and don’t waste anytime with anything that may take away from that,” Hendricks said. “That’s what really made me successful. I knew I wanted to be a great diver, so I put the work in.”
Having finished her four years of eligibility, Hendricks plans on pursuing interests outside of the pool. Currently, she is preparing for her trip to Spain this summer by
practicing her Spanish speaking abilities. Later on in her future, she would like to pursue a career in Marine Biology, working for a non-profit promoting a healthier marine environment. Her coach has no doubt she will achieve anything she wants to.
“Kelly is a remarkable individual,” Smith said. “She’s a reserved individual. . .but you can tell when she’s working on something. She focuses with such precision you know good things are going to happen.”
Erin Fuss just completed her freshman year at the University of Nevada. Erin, a journalism major, is a member of the varsity swim team under Coach Abby Steketee.
Kelly Hendricks continued
Hendricks HS Fresh Soph Junior Senior
1m Dive 260.60 AAU Champs
218.2032nd Zone C
272.6511th Zone C
281.2022nd-NCAA
315.5011th-NCAA
3m Dive n/a 233.9533rd Zone C
280.6012th Zone C
280.3528th-NCAA
360.30, 3rd-NCAA
Platform n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Kelly Hendricks, Eastern Michigan, DIVING. Zone qualifier in 2010 & 2011. Coach Loren “Buck” Smith. High scores at championship meet listed.http://www.emueagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4392&path=wswim
22
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Bowling Green Coach Petra Martin
Columbia UniversityCoach Diana Caskey
IUPUICoach Matt Bos
Johns Hopkins Coach George Kennedy
Mary WashingtonCoach Abby Brethauer
Wheaton College (IL)Coach Jon Lederhouse
William & MaryCoach Matt Crispino
Wingate UniversityCoach Kirk Sanocki
From 8th to 3rd in the MAC in one year.
A historic dual meet win & 21st at NCAA meet
Jaguars conitue their climb to the Summit
11 JHU records, 800 Relay title & 5th as team
Moving up at NCAA meet in 2013
Solid move into top 10 at 2013 NCAA meet
Strong showing to place 3rd at CAA meet
Highest NCAA point total in school history
Female Break Out Team
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
23
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
One year ago, Tennessee was selected as the break out team.
Reasons included; competing against the number one and two teams in the land on consecutive weekends. (The
Lady Vols would notch a historic win for the program against then #2
Florida.) Next, the Lady Vols climbed from fourth to second at the 2012 SEC meet while earning several major
meet awards. And at the 2012 NCAA meet, this team established
themselves as a bonafide top ten program in finishing seventh overall.
For a follow up, it appears that
Tennessee viewed 2011-12 as one step in the journey. In dual meet
action, they were 8-1 including a convincing win over #1 Georgia. They did drop back to fourth at the SEC
meet. Though it is worth noting that this year’s roster was arguably less
experienced (13 out of 22 were either FR of SO.) Youth coupled with the graduation of the class of 2012
including powerhouse swimmer Jenny Connelly plus conference expansion
all have an effect. That said, there is still plenty of evidence that a fourth place showing in the conference was
not a step backwards.
One of the most interesting occurrences in swimming & diving
and all sports for that matter is when a team finishes higher at the NCAA level versus the conference level.
This is what Tennessee was able to accomplish in 2013 in placing third at
the NCAA meet. Their presence at Indianapolis was immediate as a huge first day of competition placed
them in second and within striking distance of first place. They won both
the 200 Free and 400 Medley Relays; a feat they were not able to accomplish at the SEC meet.
With momentum, the Lady Vols made it three straight relays with a
strong win in the 200 medley relay on day two of competition.
continued on next page......
Tennessee
Female Break Out Team
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
24
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Tennessee continuedThe one difference is that they did
win this relay at the SEC meet. This is
a relay will be one to watch as three of the four will be back in 2013-14. The other event that was significant was
diving. For the second night in a row, two Lady Vol divers would place in the
top eight. Junior Tori Lamp would go onto place second in platform diving on Saturday night as well. Tennessee
diving would contribute 72 points to the team’s third place finish. For their
incredible effort and performances, Coach Dave Parrington was named National Diving Coach of the Year
while Lamp took Diver of the Year. (note: See Coach Parrington interview
beginning on page 37.)
What sets this program apart?Tennessee is one of those
programs that you just expect to be a presence on the national level.
Whether it be from conference affiliation, history of the program, coaches, athletes, etc, Tennessee is a
consistent participant at the end of each collegiate season.
Though many programs share a similar presence on the national level, not all share their ability execute and
perform so consistently well come the second semester of any collegiate
season. So what is it that makes the Tennessee program special? Assistant coach Ashley Jahn feels that
there are many parts to this equation of success though is quick to point
out that, “our head coach, Matt Kredich, has created an incredible learning environment at Tennessee.!
Our athletes are constantly challenged to be engaged in their development as
athletes and as people.! No two athletes are the same.! They learn differently.! They view success, failure,
swimming and life in different ways.! This environment encourages them to
use their strengths and to keep improving their weaknesses.! It’s not just about swimming.”!
As we know, at the epicenter of the equation for athletic success
involves both coach and student-athlete. “The next part is our athletes.! They make it special.! Each one has
goals unique to them, guided by their experience and their dreams. !They
share a love for swimming, for Tennessee and for the team.! As a team, they believe in the process of
continual improvement.! If that’s part of your foundation, you can always
find a way to be better and to continue to move forward.! It’s hard to do that every day and so it’s essential
that your teammates be actively involved in the process.! They
encourage you during times of strength and help carry you when you’re struggling,” says Coach Jahn.
Frank Zilch cannot be found in Knoxville.
Another insight into the inquiry is “creativity, fun and support are yet another important part of Tennessee’s
success,” concludes Jahn.! The bottom line on the Tennessee program
is that they know how to get the job done late in the season when the stakes are highest. This does not
mean the opposite is true...at all. It is just that we have seen a Coach
Kredich-led program do this on multiple occasions. Many years ago, legendary Coach James Counsilman
spoke of the “X factor” in coaching at a ASCA clinic. Whatever you want to
call it over forty years later, that X-factor is alive and present in Knoxville, Tennessee.
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Male Break Out Team
Kenyon CollegeCoach Jess Book
University of LouisvilleCoach Arthur Albiero
Mary WashingtonCoach Abby Brethauer
MITSam Pitter/ Dawn Dill
University of MichiganCoach Mike Bottom
Southern CaliforniaCoach Dave Salo
William & MaryCoach Matt Crispino
University of WisconsinCoach Whitney Hite
Back on top; 1st title in the new era.
Program’s 2nd highest ever NCAA finish in ’13
A top 20 NCAA finish.
Best NCAA finish ever for the Engineers. Awesome all year long
Highest NCAA finish in Coach Salo era.
Strong performances lead to 2nd place in CAA
A top 15 NCAA finish
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
26
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
The old saying goes, “What a difference a year makes!” In the case
of the NC State Wolfpack it should be, “What a huge difference two make!” Head Coach Braden Holloway’s
sophomore campaign at his alma mater took the ‘Pack to another level
in 2013. A top 15 finish at this year’s NCAA
Championships, bolstered by strong
relays and solid individual performances helped the 2013 Pack
serve notice that they are back, and planning on sticking around for a long time.
Holloway’s explanation for such a huge turnaround lies in the attitude of
his team, and the enthusiasm of his coaching staff.
“In 2012 the group was ready for something different, we put a lot of
emotion into that season, and ACC’s.” recalls Holloway. While the Wolfpack got over the hump in 2012, beating
rivals North Carolina and Florida State in dual meets, and registering a solid
ACC performance. There still was a little something left.
2013 found NC State holding
themselves to a higher standard. Travelling to Austin, Tx to battle the
Longhorns, and taking a trip to Southern California was the turning point. Holloway recognized that
“During those trips, our Men decided that they really wanted more, that we
can take the next step, and compete at another level.”
continued on next page.....
Male Break Out Team
by Mike LitzingerTim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
27
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
It was after that series of meets that the Wolfpack truly started to;
“Let the hunt begin.”(one of their season themes)
It was then the Wolfpack began
truly ramping up their belief in the program, themselves, and eager not
only to be a factor at the conference level, but at the NCAA’s as well.
Another key component Coach
Holloway points to is the dynamics of their coaching staff. “Our staff is high
energy, we play off of each other well, and are
committed to the programs
goals.” This young staff of, Todd Desorbo,
Gary Taylor, Mallory
Houchin, and Diving Coach Josh Karshen
have quite a reputation of being animated,
passionate, and knowledgeable.
ACC Championships 2013The combination of a hungry
team, and a united coaching staff resulted in one of NC State’s best
performances at the ACC Championships in decades. However, that result did not come by the easiest
of efforts. On the first night of competition, NC State stunned the
rest of the ACC by capturing gold in the 800 Free Relay, but were later DQ’d for a swimmer entering the
water before the rest of the competitors were finished. What could
have been a disaster, was quickly
turned into a reason to succeed. “When the relay arrived a dinner later
that evening,” said Holloway “The rest of our Men stood in applause. It was that moment that defined our team
and future performance at the meet.”Coach Holloway was right, the
Wolfpack rebounded to capture several individual titles, and a gold in the 400 Free Relay. While a 5th place
finish may be the middle of the ACC, the effort and attitude the team put in
was worthy of a first.
Heading into
the NCAA’s the momentum
continued: a 12th place
finish in the 200 Free Relay, a 10th
in the 400 Medley, Miesfield finishing 7th in the
100 Fly, 9th in the 800 Free Relay, an 11th place by Boffa in the 100 Free, and a 10th in the 400 Free Relay
added up to 75 points good for 15th in the nation.
Why Men’s Breakout Team 2013? One year ago, they took one swimmer and scored zero points at the NCAA
meet. Twelve months later, they scored 74 points to place in the top
15. This would be their best finish at NCAA’s since 1975, holding themselves to a higher standard,
enthusiastic coaching…….Let the hunt continue!
North Carolina State
“It was that moment that defined our team and future performance at the meet.”
28
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
November 3, 2012, Granville, OH Our dual meet with Kenyon was a
pivotal moment in our season; I like to think it was one of the moments that
defined the attitude and mentality of this 2012-2013 Denison Women’s Team. Every year we are faced with
this head to head challenge with our long time rival and competitor. The
past three years this weekend has
turned into our largest mental challenge going from swimming
against Ohio State Friday night and turning around to face Kenyon in the morning. For the senior class, we had
never lost a dual meet to Kenyon during our time at Denison and we
knew that we had to pull the team together in order to keep the streak alive. Gregg made it very clear to both
Men’s and Women’s team that this was going to be a fight where every
single race and person could make the difference in ultimately a win or a loss.
That early November Saturday morning, the team was ready to go,
everyone knew what was at stake and that we had to bring our best swims.
To walk out on deck and see our
parents, friends, and professors in stands really got the atmosphere
going from the start. Going into my 200 Free, I knew what I had to do. I have my race strategy engrained into
my mind, easy speed for the first 125, kick it in hard for that last 75. It took
me a couple of years to figure it out, but since my sophomore year at Denison that has been my trusty plan!
continued on next page.....
Most Exciting Meet Women
by Alyssa SwansonPhoto: Gemma Rosenburg
29
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
The 200 Free was early on during the meet, by the time I
stepped up behind the blocks spirits were high and I knew I had to swim
my 200 well because everyone was counting on me to get the momentum going! During the first 100 of the 200, I
am pretty comfortable with being slightly behind and I just tell myself to
keep steady and strong, I can run these girls down by the end. Following my swim is when Kenyon started to
really pour on and take a big lead, winning event after event, the meet
was looking like it wasn’t going to go in our favor. We were swimming well, everyone stepped up and had solid
swims, we just happened to not be quite as fast as the Kenyon
frontrunners. Mentally the team knew to keep fighting, get your hand to the wall and out touch anyone that you
possibly can, every swim was going to count in order for us to make this
happen!
The second half of the meet is when things started to turn around in our
favor, we had stronger swims and stronger events during the second
half. The team was definitely tense, but everyone was sure to not watch the scoreboard and just stay invested
in the races. I took the same approach to my 500 as I did for my 200, I stayed
true to my strategy, soaked up the excitement from the stands and my teammates, and never let the fear of
the situation cross my mind. There is nothing better than hearing your
teammates calling out your name as you get ready to set up on the blocks. I learned to back-half my 500 this
year, after recovering from a back
injury last year, I started to gravitate more towards distance rather than
swimming the 100 free like I did the past three years. During my 500 I kept telling myself to stay calm, keep my
strokes long and strong, at the beginning just keep the other lanes in
striking distance. I kick it in for a full sprint the last 75 of my 500, something that I recently developed.
During the second round of diving, each swimmer watched tentatively,
knowing this was going to be a close one. I remember talking with the rest of the captains all having the opinion
that we shouldn’t be counted out yet, we can still pull this together for a win.
The last couple of events is when everyone started to count the points, look at the scoreboard, and calculate
what we needed to do to pull it off.
Going into the last relay, we knew
we had to win it in order to win the meet.
I remember Gregg coming over
and telling us who was on the final relay. When he listed off Morgan,
Ashley, Molly, and I, I knew we were going to pull it off. All four of us were relay swimmers at heart, live and die
for relays and always seem to manage to pull off some great splits. I was so
excited, this was one of those few moments in swimming that make or break people under pressure. To step
on a relay knowing you got to win it, this was very reminiscent to the men’s
team final 400 free relay at NCAA’s in 2011. Walking over to the blocks, I remember almost everyone of our
teammates came over to the relay swimmers telling us some final words
of encouragement and faith. To hear
the chanting of “Big Red Relays” coming from the stands, the women’s
team, and the men’s team right before stepping up on the blocks was unforgettable. The only way I can
explain the race was pure excitement, these are the moments in swimming
that embrace competition, rivalry, and the spirit of the sport. Winning that relay, winning the meet, watching the
men’s team win the meet after the next relay, the whole natatorium was
elated, I’ve never experienced quite a dual meet like this.
I think this dual meet at the
beginning of the year set us up for the rest of the season.
Our team stepped up to the challenge and kept fighting throughout the meet even though it did not quite
seem like the odds were in our favor. As Gregg said to us this year, we were
a great championship team and this definitely showed during the dual meet, on to a tight conference
competition with Kenyon again, and to set us up a great national meet. The
Kenyon meet was the building block for the team and our attitude for the rest of the season!
Alyssa Swanson (Aurora, CO), was a senior Tri-captain for the Denison Big Red in 2012-13.
Most Exciting Meet Women
30
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Walking into a new pool can be exciting and intimidating. Those
emotions are only amplified when: 1) it is your rival's brand-new facility, 2)
aforementioned rivals have t-shirts made proclaiming the event the "Rumble in Trumbull", and 3) they are
awaiting your arrival - stretching with their customary wooden dowels. Even
so the Ladies were ready and excited to compete at Denison’s new aquatic center in Fall 2012.! They had had a
great and challenging month of training and were feeling light and
loose as they stepped on deck to Taylor Swift blasting on the loudspeaker.
The meet started off very efficiently for the Ladies. Freshmen
Katie Kaestner and Haley Townsend helped carry the 200 Medley relay to a first place finish and showed that our
freshmen were a forced to be reckoned with. Mariah Williamson,
another freshman, continued that momentum by winning the 1000 with an impressive10:25.39. The 100
backstroke, one of the Ladies' strongest events, came
next.!!Unfortunately the race began with an awkward false start that confused the field and forced the
coaches to re-schedule the event for later in the competition. After a short
break, Celia Oberholzer pulled through to win the event, followed by Rachel Flinn in 3rd and Kate Haller in 5th.
Katie Kaestner continued to prove herself as a crucial component of the
team by winning the 100 breaststroke.
During the first diving competition (which lasted well over
45 minutes), the Ladies got to see their brand new diving team in action for the first time. To say that
they were impressed by freshman Maria Zarka's winning performance on
the 1 mtr is an understatement. And in their first ever dual meet, Megan
Remillard and Emily Bulik-Sullivan also displayed how well their hard work was paying off by coming in 4th and
5th respectively. The 100 freestyle continued Kenyon's momentum as
Hillary Yarosh finished in 1st with a 52.55, and Haley Townsend had an exciting race against her competition
that resulted in a tie for second.Even with Kenyon's fast start
the meet was close the entire
way.!!As a team, they began to fall behind after the 500 free, where
training partners Syd Lindblom and Kiersten Bell were only able to pull in a
3rd and 4th place with their almost identical times of!5:14. However, there!is no better way to get back in
the game than watching Hannah Saiz do what she does best and win the
100 butterfly with a 56.91, one of the Ladies first B-cuts of the season.
After another diving competition
that saw Maria Zarka come in 2nd place, the Ladies' 400 IM crew was
behind the blocks and ready to go. The meet was stretching past the 3 hour mark (an eternity for a 2-team
dual meet), and many of the Ladies were ready for their final races.
However, a technical issue turned all of the lights out moments before the
race was supposed to begin, delaying the meet further. Rather than waiting
any longer for the lights to fully turn back on, the coaches decided to swim the event in half light as the lights
reset.!!Despite this set-back, the Ladies raced well and posted times
comparable to their practices the week prior.
Everyone knew that the final
relay--200 free relay--was going to be close. The Ladies and Big Red did
not disappoint in finishing the meet in a race worthy of teams considered to
be rivals. Although Hillary Yarosh anchored the relay with an exciting 23.93, it was not enough to catch Big
Red, who out-touched them by less than a second.
The Ladies did not enter the meet expecting to win--they arrived ready to swim against their best competitors
and make the meet as close as they could. And close it was; after four long
hours, the meet ended up being a two point meet, 149.5 Denison to 147.5 Kenyon. Despite the loss, the Ladies
were content with their performances; plus, a song and laughter filled drive
to and from Denison proved how close the Ladies had become during the previous month of training.
writer bios listed on page 33
Kenyon Ladies vs. Denison Big Red by Syd Lindblom & Rachel Flinn
31
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
February 2-3, 2013 Princeton, NJ
In case you haven't noticed, the perennially strong Ivy League swimming and diving conference has become even more nationally competitive in recent years. Strong evidence of this fact was the!2-day, 19 event February dual meet between long time Ivy rivals Harvard and Princeton. The final result,
Harvard 200 - Princeton 153, could have gone either way as race after race, and dive after!dive, came down to the wire.! It was the kind of meet!that typifies the excitement and!intrigue of college swimming and diving ... an intense competition that propelled both squads into well deserved!top!25 national rankings.
As Harvard assistant Kevin Tyrell
states, " We know we will be pushed to our limits at this meet.! Our swimmers and divers love the challenge. It's a great stepping stone within our season."
Adds Princeton assistant Mitch Dalton, “The annual Harvard-Yale-Princeton dual meet is a fun competition for us which invokes the tradition of a terrific rivalry "
continued on next page.....
by Peter Brown
32
Most Exciting Meet Men
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
HYP continued........ The showdown began on
Saturday evening at Princeton's Denunzio pool with a crowd pleasing 200 Free Relay. Harvard shot out to a
half!second advantage via Griffin Schmacher's 20.18 leadoff followed
by Oliver Lee's blazing 19.00 ... and the!Crimson never looked back, touching first in an impressive 1:18.71
to the Tiger's also quick 1:19.37.! The very next event (200 Free) was all that
and more,!with the final four finishers posting sub 138's. The!winner, Princeton's Sandy Bole,!held on for a .
02!victory over Harvard’s Chris Satterthwaite, 1:36.79 to 1:36.81. The
stage was now set. Over the next two days, fourteen more!first-place finishes would!follow for the
Crimson!and 5 for the Tigers,!each event providing!captivating action.
The Harvard-Princeton!competition was a precursor of things to come. A
few weeks later, at Brown University's shining new state-of-the-art facility, one of the fastest championships in
Ivy League history was recorded. Princeton, by the way, came out on
top. Congratulations to all three programs for making this a special meet each season!
Coach Peter Brown is the head swimming coach at Brown University
in Providence, RI. He just completed his 12th season with
the Bears. Prior to
Brown, Peter was the long
time men’s coach at
Penn State.
continued from page 31....
Rachel Flinn (left) Syd Lindblom (right) & are current Kenyon athletes and swim for Coach Jess Book. Syd is a rising senior from Charlotte, NC. Rachel, a rising senior as well, is from Nashua, NH.
Most Exciting Meet continuedother meet highlights:
200 Breaststroke - 4 competitors sub 2:00 - Winner: Chuck Katis (H) 1:57.87
200 Backstroke - 4 competitors sub 1:48 - Winner: Connor Maher (P) 1:44.68
200 IM - 4 competitors sub 1:49 - Chuck Katis (H) 1:47.71 over Sandy Bole - 1:48.171-Meter Diving - Stephen Vines (P) 332.75
over Michael Mosca (H) 330.40
400 Medley Relay - Winner: Harvard 3:14.12 over Princeton 3:14.37100 Breaststroke - 4 competitors sub 56.!
Chuck Katis (H) 54.08 over Byron Sanborn (P) 54.24
100 Butterfly- Princeton 1-2-3 finish, all sub 49.!Winner : Brooks Powell 48.71500 Free - Harvard 1-2-3 finish, all sub
4:30. Winner!Steven Kekacs 4:26.23100 Free - 43.29 (Oliver Lee), 44.10 (H),
44.20 (P), 44.25 (P), 44.27 (H), 44.39 (P)
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
January 26, 2013, Knoxville, TNYou can expect nothing less than
great intensity and grit when you put two power-players in the SEC together in late January. In this case,
perennial national contender Georgia found a ready and able challenger in
the the Lady Vols on what was their Senior Day.
The meet played out very similar to how the men’s meet went; a convincing win for the hosts in the
relay followed by an equally convincing showing in the 1650. In both meets, it would be the 200 Free
that was a pivot point of the afternoon. Lindsay Gendron’s wire-to-
wire win in that event set off a seven event streak the put UT up 98-71. Tennessee would further command
the day in winning the next three events prior to the second diving
break. For the contender, Georgia, you can only imagine that this meet made the women better come March
as they won a fifth national title under Coach Bauerle. For the challenger,
Tennessee, it marked another signature moment in their continual march towards national supremacy. A
late season win over the eventual national champion only fueled the
Volunteers as they went on to be great at the SEC and NCAA championships. If you string together this meet along
with their championship performances in 2013, it is clear that Tennessee, very
comfortable in their role as challenger, have their sites set on being the contender in D1 Swimming & Diving .
Most Exciting Upset Women
Tennessee Media Relations
34
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
January 26, 2013, Knoxville, TNIn the very first event, the
Volunteers provided an early sense of how the meet would play out with a blistering 1:27.12 and four second
margin of victory in the 200 Medley Relay. Georgia would answer with
their first win of the day with a equally impressive showing in the mile to take a 21-15 lead heading into the 200 free.
With three athletes deadlocked at the 150, it was Sam Rairden, (pictured
right) who broke away to lead a one-two finish for the Vols. For the Tennessee Junior, it was part of a
perfect day as he was part of both victorious relays as well as another
individual win in the 100 Free. Perhaps his win in the 100 was a solid sign that the rebuilding of the
Tennessee men’s program the was well under way. The men were simply
dominant on this day in taking both relays, the 50,100 & 200. Rairden led the quartet that swept the 100 with a
near personal best time of 43.97. (Less than a month later, he would
swim a :42.64 at the SEC Championships.)
One other key race of the day was
the 100 backstroke which possessed enough close races to make the
difference early in the meet. Volunteer Sean Lehane broke away from a dead-even tie at the 50 prevent
UGA from a possible lead. Going into the day, Tennessee
was unranked. This meet brought these two programs much closer as they would finish just one spot
apart at the SEC championships. The meet put them in the CSCAA rankings
at 11th with Georgia remaining at 12th both before and after the dual meet. In late March at the 2013 NCAAs,
Georgia would finish 10th and ahead of Tennessee who finished at 16th. As
both coaches were complimentary of each other in their post meet comments, Coach Kredich said of his
own team, “Today, the coaches didn't have to do too much guiding. The
team really took over.”
Most Exciting Upset Men
Tennessee Media Relations
35
2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Championship Performance Female
University of Arizona2013 NCAA Division I
Columbia University2013 Ivy League
University of Georgia 2013 NCAA Division I
Johns Hopkins University2013 NCAA Division III
Mary Washington2013 CAC Championships
Notre Dame University2013 NCAA Division I
Princeton University2013 Ivy League
Virginia Tech University2013 ACC Championships
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall
outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
16th place is highest in program history
Hokies move into top two for first time ever
11 School records & 800 Free relay title at NCAAs
The champions in 2013
Highest team point total in program history
American Record: 400 Free Relay
Tradition was the motto as Tigers win at home
13th consecutive title
36
2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Indianapolis, IN March 23, 2013 This program has been on a mission
for some time with calendar year 2013 being no exception which includes a historic dual meet win along with a
program best conference finish. And after two days of incredible
performances at the 2013 NCAA meet, the Lady Vols were in third place. You could argue the the next
day, Saturday March 23rd, was their best day as a team.
The Saturday morning prelims left Tennessee in an interesting position. They certainly remained in position to
hold onto third place, something that had never been done before.
However, with a couple of notable names not making it back in their events that day, there would be no
guarantees that the Lady Vols would remain in third at the end of the night.
During the course of the evening, Tennessee had to watch three events; the 1650 free, 200 Back & 200 Fly.
And despite scoring points in the 100 Free & 200 Breaststroke, the Lady
Vols was bunched up with Florida and Arizona for the fourth, fifth and sixth
position. They were also 23 points out of third with two events to go.
Diving Coach Dave Parrington and the duo of Tori Lamp and Jodie McGroarty had been stellar the entire
meet. With two events remaining, platform diving and the 400 free relay,
there would be added incentive to do well with the final team standings being uncertain.
With Lamp placing second on platform and a fourth place finish in
the relay, Tennessee would successfully the points necessary to finish the meet in third place; the best
finish ever in program history. NOTE: Coach Parrington was willing
to answer some questions about the NCAA meet and the 2012 13 season.
continued on next page....
Championship Performance Female
Tennessee
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 21 1. Georgia 477 2. California 3933. Tennessee 325.5 4. Texas A&M 323.55. Arizona 311 6. Florida 3057. Southern Cal291 8. Stanford 246
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
37
10
2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Tennessee Lady Vols-continued
Your divers earned 72 points at the
NCAA level. !What are some of the
key things you focused on in your
training this season to set this up? !
As is my philosophy each year, everything we do throughout the
season is absolutely geared towards producing our finest performances during the Championship season
(SEC's, NCAA zones and NCAA's). The more experienced divers in the
program become better each year in how they handle this, as well as being well versed in pacing their season so
to speak, which was especially so for Jodie and Tori because of their
experience. During the course of the year we certainly practiced pressure scenarios as best we could under
training circumstances, by doing scored lists while visualizing various
situations, and on a few occasions we had training sessions in the evening to simulate evening events such as the
finals at Championship meets. Very early in the season our swimmers and
divers, as a team, set very specific individual goals, as they relate to the team championship goals, which in
some cases are modified as we move forward. I feel doing this as a whole
team was an integral part of our success, since both the divers and swimmers have a very real
understanding as to what is going on at each of the pool, and the support
for each other is magnified as a result.What did you do differently in
training this season?
Something different this past year, which I hadn't done in a few years,
during our pre-Christmas holiday training, in addition to all of their
normal training (weights, dry land), on a few occasions I brought them in for
a third diving workout of the day, which was in the evening, after fairly testy morning and afternoon sessions.
With the idea it would be similar to the long days experienced during
Championship meets, when the divers who qualify for evening finals do have to come in for a morning warm-up,
return for another brief warm-up before prelims, leave and return for
finals. The divers were very much aware this was for that purpose. I will also mention I feel our strength
program was much more specific to our diver's needs than in some
previous years and the divers did an exceptional job of maintaining it throughout the brutal stretch leading
into SEC's, through zones and into NCAA's.
What are some of the key traits that Jodie and Tori possess that make them successful at this level
of competition?Both Jodie and Tori are similar in
that they love to compete, and had the experience of having dived and scored at the previous year's meet,
but came away realizing they could do a whole lot better, by being more
consistent in preliminaries. In Tori's case at the
2012
NCAA's on springboard she missed one dive badly on both boards and
wasn't too far out of making finals, so that experience of knowing consistency was the key stood her in
good stead. In Jodie's case she too came away from 2012 knowing it
would take too much more to do very well, and she never panicked even when it seemed she was in some tight
spots this year during the prelims and simply trusted her ability and
experience, while some others may have tightened up some. I guess the similar traits are competitiveness,
experience and belief.How does a meet and season
like you had in 2013 impact your approach or strategy as your move forward?
Like every year I look at what I felt helped us during the season and what
we might have been able to do better, and there is no question even though we had a fantastic season I felt we
could have been better in some areas, so I'll build on what we did and tweak
some things here and there in an effort to keep moving in the direction of winning individual titles which will help
the whole Swimming and Diving Team effort as we continue to strive for team
Championships!
Coach Dave Parrington, Tennessee Diving
Tennessee Media Relations
2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Championship Performance Male
California Berkeley2013 Pacific 12
Eastern Michigan2013 MAC Championships
Johns Hopkins 2013 NCAA Division III
Kenyon College2013 NCAA Division III
Mary Washington2013 CAC Championships
MIT2013 NCAA Division III
Southern California2013 NCAA Division I
William & Mary2013 CAA Championships
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall
outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
National swimmer of the year leads team to third
Several notable swims as Tribe places second in ’13
A huge day three returns the Lords to the top spot
Two event titles en route to 4th place finish
EMU takes league meetby six points
For the first time in 31 years, a new champion
Several awesome swims as Trojans finish fourth
A 1000 plus point plus performance for the Eagles
39
2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors
March 30, 2013, Indianapolis, IN Following a commanding road
performance in Austin versus Texas and Indiana in late October, Coach Bottom’s team took over the top spot
where they would remain for most of the dual meet season. However, for a
program that had not won a team title since the mid 90s, nothing would be
taken for granted as Michigan headed into the most important test of their
season.Michigan would take the lead for
good after event number two, the 500
free. They would continue to look forward as they worked to maintain
roughly a thirty point lead over the first two days of competition. Though each and every point matters at a
NCAA meet, they seemed to send a symbolic message to all competitors
at the start of each session. On day one, it was the 500 freestyle where five athletes earned 36 points. To
begin day two, and after qualifying second in the morning, Michigan
made one change to create a historic 200 medley relay that night. Senior Miguel Ortiz led off the backstroke leg
with a jaw-dropping :20.83 set up the remaining three legs. (His time would
rank inside the top 25 percent of all 50 free times in Division I in 2012-13.) The relay (pictured above) went to
work to take the event, earn valuable points and set a new meet, NCAA &
US Open record in 1:22.27. On the next night, the quartet of Connor Jaeger, Sean Ryan, Ryan Feeley &
Championship Performance Men
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
Michigan
40
2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Michigan Wolverines continued, ...best showing in any event. In
adding 57 points to the team total, the team once again was very effective at making a statement towards their
ultimate goal of a national championship. The mile also gave
Michigan a 91.5 lead over the defending champion California Golden Bears.
The eventual victors would not win another event in this meet. They
would continue to have athletes race and compete and score points. For the remainder of the night, Michigan
would be part of one of the most electric sessions to ever take place.
Ironically, they would not be directly involved in the aquatic firework display taking place in the natatorium. As
mentioned, they were simply the team that was executing their mission which
was to earn the program’s twelfth NCAA title.
Following the mile, sophomore Andrew teDuits from Wisconsin led beginning to end to take the 200
backstroke. Of note is the fact that teDuits was competing in his first
NCAA Championship. Things would continue to heat up
over the next three events. In the 100
freestyle, USC’s Vlad Morozov proved to be the fastest man in the pool in
completing his dominating sweep of the 50 and 100 freestyle events. When you add in a few of his relay
swims, he not only was the fastest person in the pool at this meet, but
the fastest swimmer ever. His :17.86 and :40.28 in the 200 and 400 Free Relays respectively will be talked
about for years. Morozov would turn over lane four to
Arizona Wildcat swimmer Kevin
Cordes in the 200 breaststroke. A sophomore as well, Cordes gave
everyone their money’s worth and more with second sweep of all records in one day while becoming the first
person ever to go 1:48 in that event.Finally and who better to ask to
keep it going then California’s Tom Shields. In his final collegiate individual race, Shields was golden as
he took the field by a second to tie Michael Phelps’s American record in a
1:39.65.In his interview with Rowdy
Gaines during the celebration, Coach
Mike Bottom offered a secret to achieving a goal and in this case
winning a NCAA championship, “The truth is when you get a bunch of guys together with a purpose, you can
change the world. This is a demonstration of that.”
Congratulations Michigan!
Championship Performance continued
Conner Jaeger, rising SR
500 Free Champion:
4:10.84
1650 Free Champion:14:27.18
2013 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year
2012 Olympian, USA
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Female Assistant Coach
Karin BrownAmherst College
Dr. Ron JenkinsVolunteer Assistant-Diving, West Chester
Rachel KomisarzLouisville
Jake LewingMary Washington
Mike LitzingerNorth Carolina
Michael SabalaColumbia University
Catherine VogtSouthern California
Suzanne YeePrinceton University
6th place at D3 Nationals
Another PSAC title in 38thseason with school
Third consecutive Big East championship
Four swimmers make NCAAs in 2013
12th place is best NCAA finish since 2002
PAC12: runner up Ivy League Champions
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall
outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
42
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Nikki Kett just completed her first season with John Hopkins University.
She joined the Blue Jays after graduating from Kenyon College in 2012. An All-American, Kett had a very
successful and stand-out swimming career at Kenyon. She came to John
Hopkins after working with the YMCA swim club in Cheshire, CT and Total Performance Swim Camps.
The Johns Hopkins Women had a very successful season finishing 5th at
the NCAA Championships, which matches the program’s best and is the team’s highest finish since 2002. In all,
the Blue Jays won one NCAA relay title, collected eight medals, and
broke 12 school records.“From day 1 the swimmers set the
bar high and decided they wanted to
be great at the NCAA Championships. I don’t remember a single day where
the team walked onto the pool deck dragging their heels—instead they showed up ready to improve and to
make the most of each practice,” says Kett when asked about the season.
“Even more importantly, while we were committed to consistent excellence, we also were able to have
fun. As a staff and women’s team, we were able to laugh it off when things
didn’t go exactly according to plan. Because of this, negativity was subdued and the team was able to
continue to work towards our goals in a positive manner.”
John Hopkins’ success was in no way a surprise for Kett. She and head coach George Kennedy worked to
plan out the season and practices; together, they focused on the smaller
details such as stroke technique.“I think the athletes benefitted
greatly from this; it put more emphasis
on the process than on the outcome. Every detail we focused on had a
specific purpose and because of it the women walked into championships with the confidence they needed to
achieve their goals. They performed exceptionally at the end of the year
but they had set themselves up to do so all year long. I am proud of what they were able to accomplish this
year.”Kett is excited for the next
season. She can’t wait to get back to the grind and set the bar even higher next year.
Female Assistant Coach
by Amy Finn
Nikki Kett
43
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Male Assistant Coach
Mitch DaltonPrinceton University
Todd DeSorboNorth Carolina State
Benjamin HewittNova Southeastern
Nikki KettJohns Hopkins
Jeremy KippSouthern California
Gustavo LealColumbia University
Jake Lewing Mary Washington
Samantha Pitteracting head coach/MIT
Program historic win over Princeton
Five straight Ivy titlesTop 15 finish in 2013 A top ten finish at NCAA
Top 4 at D3 Nationals Top 4 at D1 Nationals
D3: Top 20 in 2013 Banner season in 2013
“And Your Top Qualifiers”
Also nominated and very worthy of national recognition, these programs made the top 8 for their overall
outstanding achievements in 2012-13.
44
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Associate Head Coach, Dr. Josh White is in his fifth season with the University of Michigan’s Men’s Swimming team. His strength lies in his ability to coach distance; several of his swimmers have gone on to represent the University at the National level, including the 2012 Olympic Games.
Dr. White was a former Kenyan swimmer and has a doctorate in human performance. “Michigan is such a wonderful place to be and has an atmosphere that breeds success. The culture here is something that I could feel from the outside before I came here and something that I admired,” says White. When Coach Mike Bottom brought him on, he
embraced and improved the already dominant distance group.
“As Coach Bottom preaches, [the men] want to “change the world.” Camaraderie is also a very important aspect of Michigan following the ideal of “the team, the team, the team," as stated by legendary football coach Bo Schembechler. As coaches we try to live up to the same ideals as the team. We try to constantly improve by being open to new ideas and individualizing our training while maintaining a great group structure. Moving forward together is a powerful force.”
Powerful force is definitely not an understatement. This past season Michigan won their 12th NCAA
Championship and their 37th Big 10 Championship. Dr. White was a vital part of the continued success of the program’s storied and legendary culture.
When asked about their success, White says, “I think the biggest thing that set this team apart was a desire to always be at their best. Swimming fast became ingrained in practice and dual meets without the need for external motivation. By the time B1G's and NCAA's came great performances had become a habit not an exception.”
White’s coaching prowess surpasses the realm of NCAA as well. Many of his swimmers have achieved great international success as well as success in open water events.
Male Assistant Coach
by Amy FinnU-M Photo Services
45
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Michigan is one of those programs that you expect to win a NCAA championship. Coach Bottom and staff in a short time has dispelled any doubts how Michigan would win their championship. They were methodical in how they accumulated points at the 2013
meet. (They failed to score in just four individual events. Yet in the events they did score in, Michigan never scored less than a dozen points.) In other words, they were consistently good over three days of competition.
As mentioned in the introduction of this publication, we are pumped to include the work of athlete, teacher and writer Casey Barrett. His article published back early April just happened to fit perfectly into this section as Coach Mike Bottom was nominated and received the most votes. Though it is tricky to say the least to narrow the Impact honor down to a single person for the entire sport, he generated the most interest on the
survey. In reading Casey Barrett’s article online, it seemed to be a perfect fit. continued on next page
Making an ImpactCOach Mike Bottom
Tim Binning/Theswimpictures.com
46
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Mike Bottom and the psychology of special…
He gets you to believe. In yourself, in your talent, in your training, and importantly, in him. That’s no small
task, and it doesn’t have much to do with what goes on in the water
everyday.18 to 22 year old boys can be a
delicate lot. They won’t admit to this,
but it’s true. Their egos are fragile and their freakishly fit bodies are hyper
sensitive to the slightest turbulence in their training. Often times what they need is not a coach but a
psychologist. Enter Mike Bottom, the ultimate mind coach.
Two days ago, Bottom guided Michigan back to the top, as the
men raced to their first title in 18 years. Bottom’s incredible accomplishments with a who’s who of
champion sprinters long ago established him as one of the world’s
great coaches, but this title does something else. It validates his Hall of Fame bona fides and transcends that
old Sprint Coach label that he wore for so long. This Michigan team won it the
Michigan way and the Bottom way. Which is to say they won it by dominating the distance events and
swimming blazingly fast on the sprint relays. That’s a dangerous combo.
They also won it with virtually no
stars. With all due respect to Connor Jaeger, who posted a pair of terrific
winning times in the 500 and 1650, this Michigan team was a group that
won with depth and consistency, not with a few eye-popping record-shattering swims. They did post one
NCAA record – a stunning 1:22.27 in the 200 medley relay that no one saw
coming. But aside from Jaeger’s wins and that one relay, you didn’t see Michigan standing on top of the
podium in any other events.
Consider the races that will be
remembered at this meet. There were quite a few. USC’s
Vlad Morozov’s staggering sprints.
17.8 on that relay, 40.7 flat start in his 100. Cal’s Tom Shields, who ended his
collegiate career in high style, tying Phelps’s small pool record in the 200 fly with that 1:39.6. And of course,
Arizona’s monster sophomore, Kevin Cordes, who can now officially be
proclaimed America’s Next Great Breaststroker. A few days ago, I posted a claim that his 49.5 100
breast split on Arizona’s medley relay may have been the best college swim
ever. Turns out we spoke too soon. His 1:48.6 in the 200 breast is the best college swim ever. Tell me another that
compares.
All of the above guys are Pac-12
swimmers. That’s where the best swimmers are. It’s hard to argue with
the evidence. However, Michigan had the best team. By a lot. For all the drama at the meet this year, the team
race was never really close. As the pre-meet projections established,
Michigan was on another level, points-wise. They won by a comfortable 73.5 points ahead of Cal. (Talk about poetic
justice. Beating your old team, after losing the top job there and watching
them instantly ascend to the top in your absence…) The fact is, Michigan left plenty of points on the table. That
first morning, they really should have had three or four guys in the final of
the 500. Instead, they put four in the B-final, with each one missing the top 8 by less than half a second. There are
plenty of other examples where they could have racked up plenty more
points, but no matter. They did what they had to do.
They did it because Bottom made
them believers. The man grasps the science of
fast swimming as much as anyone, but it’s always been about more than that with Bottom’s swimmers. He
simply convinces his swimmers that they’re the special ones. Simply – talk
about the wrong adverb… There is nothing simple about it. This is high stakes coaching. Because all you
need is one swimmer to call bullshit, and start spreading seeds of doubt
among his teammates, and all those inspiring whispers cease to matter. It’s easier for coaches to place all their
faith in a system. That gives everyone deniability. You present a program
that’s worked before – with the right amount of yardage and speed work, the right arc to a season, the right
carefully plotted taper, and you let the end take care of itself. That makes
sense, and it does work, but Bottom has always played for higher stakes.
He’s the coach who creates unshakeable confidence in his
swimmers, convincing them of their specialness, of their destiny. It doesn’t always turn out that way. But when
that promised specialness all works out in the end, that’s when legends are
made. Both in the water and on deck.
The Bottom Line by Casey Barrett
47
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors48
MALE Break Out Athlete 2012-13 Season:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE GETTER:
Kevin Cordes University of Arizona
TOP WRITE-IN ATHLETE:Dylan Coggin
Johns Hopkins University
FEMALE Break Out Athlete of the 2012-13 Season:
HONOREE: Liz Pelton,
California-Berkeley (left)TOP VOTE GETTER:
Anastasia Bogdanovski, Johns Hopkins (right)
TOP WRITE-IN ATHLETE:Elizabeth Bourgeois,
IUPUI
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors49
MALE Career Improvement Class of 2013:
HONOREE:Zack Turk
Kenyon College / Michigan TOP VOTE GETTER:
Dylan CogginJohns Hopkins University
TOP WRITE-IN ATHLETE:Six tied with one vote
FEMALE Career ImprovementClass of 2013:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE GETTER:
Katie MeiliColumbia University
TOP WRITE-IN ATHLETE:Lindsay VroomanIndiana University
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
MALE Break Out Team2012 13 season:
HONOREE: NC StateCoach Braden Holloway
TOP VOTE GETTER: University of MichiganCoach Mike Bottom
TOP WRITE-IN ATHLETE:Johns Hopkins UniversityCoach George Kennedy
FEMALE Break Out Team2012 13 season:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE GETTER:
University of TennessseeCoach Matt Kredich
TOP WRITE-IN ATHLETE:Harvard UniversityCoach Stephanie Wriede-Morawski
50
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
MALE Most Exciting Meet2012 13 season:
HONOREE: Harvard, Yale @ Princeton
2/2&3/2013
TOP VOTE GETTER: Denison 157, Kenyon 141
11/3/2012TOP WRITE-IN:
Navy 130.5, JHU 129.52/6/2013
FEMALE Most Exciting Meet2012 13 season:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE:Denison 149.5, Kenyon 147.5“D3 Thriller: Denison claims meet on final relay over rival
Kenyon.”11/3/2012
TOP WRITE-IN:Michigan & Indiana @ TexasUT: “Women’s S&D defeats Indiana & Michigan in home
opener.”10/26/2012
51
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors52
MALE Best Dual Meet Upset2012 13 season:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE:Tennessee defeats #12
Georgia 161.5-132.5January 26, 2013
TOP WRITE-IN:12 tied with one vote each
FEMALE Best Dual Meet Upset2012 13 season:
HONOREE:#11 Tennessee 161, #2 UGA 139
January 26, 2013
TOP VOTE:Arkansas defeats #12 Penn
State 150.5-149.5January 12, 2013
TOP WRITE-IN:19 tied with one vote each
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Championship PerformanceMale 2012 13 season:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE:Michigan @2013 NCAA
Division I Swimming & Diving Championships
TOP WRITE-IN:Indiana University @ 2013 Big 10 Swimming & Diving
Championships
Championship PerformanceFemale 2012 13 season:
HONOREE:University of Tennessee@2013 NCAA Division I
Swimming & Diving Championships
TOP VOTE: Johns Hopkins @2013 NCAA Division III
Swimming & Diving Championships
Top Write In: Kenyon, D3 NCAA
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Assistant Coach of the YearMALE 2012 13 season:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE:Coach Josh White
University of Michigan
TOP WRITE-IN: Coach Mike Westphal
Indiana University
Assistant Coach of the YearFEMALE 2012 13 season:
HONOREE & TOP VOTE:Coach Nikki Kett
Johns Hopkins University
Top Write In: tieCoach Dani Korman, Yale
Coach Marie Marsman, IndianaCoach Chris Morgan, Harvard
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
CAREER IMPROVEMENT HONOR: Christopher “Woody” Woodard is a graduate of Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. He is currently the Head Coach for Colorado State University where he just completed his second season.
more author profiles
MALE BREAK OUT TEAM: Michael Litzinger is currently the associate head coach at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Mike, a Hobart graduate, is a regular contributor to the College Swimming & Diving Honors.
BREAK OUT ATHLETES: Damion Dennis is currently the assistant coach at West Virginia University where he just completed his sixth season with the Mountaineer program.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Tim Binning owns and manages TheSwimPictures.com. He is one of the most active swimming and diving meet photographers in the United States. Many Tim Binning photographs can also be found on a regular basis at the website SwimSwam.
55
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Walk On Athletes: Josh Huger is currently the assistant coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Josh finds the time to write for Profiles on an annual basis while serving as the founder and manager of the website; Swimutopia.
more author profiles
IMPACT HONOR: Casey Barrett competed for both Southern California and SMU in addition to competing in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. He remains deeply involved in the sport of swimming on several fronts. He is a co-founder for Imagine Swimming; a learn-to-swim school in New York City. You can read more of Casey’s work at http://capandgoggles.com/
ASSISTANT COACH HONORS: Amy Finn just completed her first season as the assistant coach at her alma mater, Lake Forest College.
56
2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
The followings programs were nominated for at least one category
Air Force Academy - MenAlaska-Fairbanks-WomenAmherst College - Women
Auburn University-WomenBoston College-M&W
Bowling Green-WomenBrigham Young Univ. -M&WCalifornia-Berkeley-Men
California-Berkeley-WomenColumbia University-Women
Columbia University-MenCleveland State Univ. - WomenDartmouth College-Men
Darton State College - MenDenison University-M&W
Denver University - MenDuke University - M&WEastern Illinois University-Men
Eastern Michigan Univ. - M&WEmory University-M&W
Florida Southern University-M&WFlorida State University - M&WFresno State Univ. - Women
Grand Canyon University - MenGrinnell College-Men
Henderson State University -M&WHarvard University-WomenHarvard University-Men
Indiana University-M&WIUPUI-M&W
Johns Hopkins University M&WKenyon College-M&WLong Island Univ/Post-Women
McDaniel College - MenMerchant Marine Academy - Men
MIT - MenMiami University of Ohio - M&WMissouri State University - Men
North Carolina State Univ.-M&WNorthern Colorado University-W
Notre Dame University-M&WNova Southeastern Univ.-M&W
Ohio State University-MenOld Dominion University - Men
Princeton University-WomenPrinceton University-MenRice University - Women
Rollins College-WomenRose Hulman Institute of Tech-M
Rutgers University-WomenQueens University-M&WSaint Vincent College - M&W
San Diego State University-WSan Jose State Univ. - Women
Stanford University - WomenSt. Bonaventure Univ. - MenSt. Leo University - Men
Stevens Institute of Tech.-M&WSusquehanna University-Women
Texas A&M University - M&WThe College of New Jersey-WTowson University-Women
UCLA - WomenUniversity of Alabama-M&W
University of Arkansas-M&WUniversity of Arizona-M&WUniversity of Buffalo - M&W
University of Cincinnati - MenUniversity of Florida-M&W
University of Georgia-M&W University of Louisville-M&WUniv. of Mary Washington M&W
UMBC-MenUniversity of Michigan-Men
University of Minnesota-M&WUniversity of Missouri-M&WUniversity of New Hampshire - W
University of Nevada-WomenUNLV - Women
University of North Carolina-M&WUniversity of Virginia - WomenUC San Diego-Women
University Southern California-WUniversity Southern California-M
University of Tennessee-M&WUniversity of Texas-Men
University of Texas-WomenUniversity of the South - M&W
UNC-Wilmington-WomenUniversity of Wisconsin-M&WVillanova University - Women
Virginia Tech - M&WWashington & Lee University - W
West Chester University-M&WWest Virginia University-WomenWheaton College - Women
Williams College-WomenWilliam & Mary-M&W
Wingate University-WomenXavier University - MenYale University - Women
Dedicated this year to an
extraordinary group of now-retired coaches. Years with most recent program listed (see back cover):
Coach Gary Conelly, University of Kentucky, 22 years, KU athletics
Coach Jeff Huber, Indiana Diving, 24 years, photo credit: IU Media Relations
Coach Dave Jennings, Miami University of Ohio, 31 years, photo
credit: Miami CommunicationsCoach Joe Suriano, Navy Diving,
35 years, photo credit: D. Bomberger
Special thank you to the
following for making this happen; Casey Barrett, ImagineSwimming,
Tim Binning,TheSwimPictures.com Peter Brown, Brown University Damion Dennis, West Virginia Univ.
Amy Finn, Lake Forest College Erin Fuss, University of Nevada
Josh Huger, Swimutopia.com Michael Litzinger, North Carolina Univ. Amy Swanson, Denison University
Chris Woodard, Colorado State See website for full list
Noteworthy
57
PROFILES IN EXCELLENCE:Congratulations to our newly retired coaches!
PROFILES IN EXCELLENCE:Morozov sets a pace to be remembered in ’13