Times Heat Up as Season Winds Down

National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week (NCSW) honors continue to improve as Championship meets are just around the corner. Caroline Bruce (Stanford University) and Roland Rudolf (University of Florida) claimed NCSW honors for Division I. Kathrin Dumitru (West Chester University) and Matej Tomas (Fairmont State University) grabbed Division II NCSW honors this week. While Amanda Nicholson (Williams College) and James Kallio (SUNY Geneseo) took Division III NCSW honors. The six were selected based on their performances January 15, 2007-January 21, 2007 by a panel of collegiate coaches and nominated by coaches, sports information directors, conference representatives and CollegeSwimming.com staffers.
 

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Division I

Caroline Bruce, Stanford University
Jr., Wichita, KS
Top ranked Stanford knocked off 11th – ranked USC by a score of 174-111 in its final home dual meet of the 2006-07  campaign at the Avery Aquatic Center on Saturday to move within one victory of its first unbeaten dual meet regular season since 2001-02. Caroline Bruce recorded NCAA `A' times to win both the 100 (1:01.41) and 200 (2:11.31) breaststroke against highly-regarded Rebecca Soni of USC with a margin of just one-tenth of a second separating the swimmers in an exciting 200 breaststroke race. 

Roland Rudolf, University of Florida
Fr., Budapest, Hungary
Rudolf picked up two individual event wins on Saturday to lead the 11th-ranked University of Florida men’s swimming
and diving team to a pair of dual wins. The Gators won seven total events en route to defeating 18th – ranked Alabama, 172-128, and getting the better of South Carolina, 190-109. For the second time in as many days, Rudolf was at the forefront of the Gator attack, sweeping the backstroke events against the Crimson Tide and Gamecocks. He touched first in the 100 backstroke (49.93) and one-upped himself in the 200 backstroke by taking the win and posting an NCAA provisional qualifying standard (1:46.79). The national-meet cut was his fourth of the year in the 200 back, and his eighth overall NCAA-qualifying mark of the season. Against Auburn on Friday, he picked up first-place finishes and NCAA provisional cuts in both the 500 freestyle (4:24.14) and 200 backstroke (1:45.24).

Division II

Kathrin Dumitru, West Chester University 
Sr., Kunzell, Germany
The Golden Rams women’s swimming team participated in a two-day tri-meet, competing against Johns Hopkins University and host The College of New Jersey. WCU dominated two perennial top ten DIII opponents in their two day tri meet this weekend as the women defeated JHU 258-106 and TCNJ 294-76. Notable swims included Kathrin Dumitru, PSAC Rookie of the Year last year, in her first meet of the season, qualified for NCAA DII Championships in the 200 breaststroke (2:22.02), while posting "B" times in the 200 freestyle (1:57.08), 100 (58.21) and 200 (2:08.77) butterfly, 200 Individual Medley (2:10.21) and 100 Breaststroke (1:07.48) events. She won all six individual events.

Matej Tomas, Fairmont State University 
Sr., Zagreb, Croatia
Tomas led team to victories over West Virginia Wesleyan and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Against West Virginia Wesleyan he began the meet swimming an NCAA “B” cut time leading off the 400 Medley Reley (51.64). He then swam an NCAA “A” qualifying time in the 100 butterfly (50.10) and concluded the meet anchoring the 400 freestyle relay (46.74). He came back with more impressive swims against Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Tomas lead off the 200 edley Relay (23.91) and then went on to turn in 2 NCAA “B” qualifying time in both the 100 (50.94) and 200 (1:53.34) utterfly.

Division III

Amanda Nicholson, Williams College
So., Chappaqua, NY
The Williams College Women’s swimming and diving team (3-2) knocked off Division I Boston College 157-143 on Friday night. The Ephs won 9 events overall en route to an impressive victory over the Eagles. The 200 yard medley relay team, with sophomore Amanda Nicholson, started the meet off on a winning note with at time of 1:50.66. Nicholson built on the early success and posted three more victories in the 100 backstroke (1:00.15), the 200 backstroke (2:07.33), and the 200 Individual Medley (2:09.55).

James Kallio, SUNY Geneseo
Sr., Avon, NY
Kallio set a new school and pool record in the 100 breaststroke with an NCAA provisional qualifying time (58.08). In addition, Kallio won the 200 breaststroke (2:09.75), the 200 Individual Medley (2:03.34) and aided the winning 400 medley relay team as Geneseo defeated Rennselear Institute of Technology on Saturday, 152-136.

The National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week Awards are underwritten by Counsilman-Hunsaker & Associates, a multi-service engineering, planning, and design firm that specializes in aquatic facilities. For more information visit www.aquaticconsultant.com. The NCSW Selection Committee is: Chris Conlin, Case Western Reserve; Steve Crocker, Counsilman/Hunsacker; Ed Denny, California University of Pennsylvania; Pat Gallagher, St. Francis University; Erin Hurley, Grinnell College; Sharon Krueger, University of Virginia; Sean McNamee, St. Bonaventure; Joel Shinofeld, Washington & Lee University; Tim Verge, Shippensburg University; Andy Waeger, Lock Haven University; Suzanne Yee, Washington State.