The 2013 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Swimming & Diving Championships will be held February 13-16 at the Rockwall Independent School District Natatorium in Rockwall, Texas.[Have a preview of your conference meet? Send it along with the Live Results Link to news@collegeswimming.com]
It is the second consecutive year that the conference meet will be held at the Rockwall ISD.
MEN'S PREVIEWS
Trinity University is the defending champion on the men’s side. The Tigers earned their fifth SCAC men’s swimming and diving title and first since 2004 by easily outpointing the field, finishing with 984 points to second-place Colorado College’s 698 and Sewanee’s 638.
Trinity University head coach John Ryan returns three swimmers who earned All-SCAC honors in 2012. Senior Spencer Bard swept both the 100 and 200 butterfly at last year’s conference championship meet. His winning time in the 100 butterfly (49.63) established a new SCAC championship meet record. Bard also swam on the winning 200 and 400 yard medley relay teams at the 2012 championships as those squads posted the second- and third-fastest times, respectively, in conference meet history. Sophomore Stephen Culberson returns to defend his 100 backstroke title. His winning time (52.11) at the 2012 championship meet was the third-fastest in conference meet history. Culberson was also part of three winning relay teams. In addition to swimming with Bard on the 200 and 400 medley relay, he was part of the winning 200 free relay team, which swam the second-fastest time in that event’s history. Junior Lucas Belury posted All-SCAC finishes at last year’s meet in three events – the 500 free (second place), the 1650 free (second place) and the 400 IM (second place). First-year swimmer Andrew Thiesse, who has been selected SCAC Swimmer-of-the –Week twice this season, has posted the fastest 200 free (1:47.98) and 200 back (1:59.98) times posted in the conference heading into the championship meet. First-year diver Stuart Sproul will look to continue the Tigers’ excellence on the boards. Sproul was SCAC Diver-of-the-Week in Week 3 and is coming off a first-place finish on the 3-meter board and a third-place finish on the 1-meter board at the UIW Invitational.
Colorado College, who joined the conference prior to the 2007 season, posted its highest finish ever with a second-place finish at the 2012 conference championships. The Tigers return a couple of All-SCAC swimmers from a year ago – sophomores Matt Nadel and Chris Garrity – as well as the conference’s defending Diver-of-the-Meet, sophomore Austin Howlett. Nadel posted third place finishes in both the 500 and 1650 freestyle in 2012 and was also on the winning 800 freestyle relay team that set a new SCAC championship meet record (6:47.01). Garrity, who earned SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week honors the second week of January, placed third in the 100 backstroke at the 2012 championships. Howlett won the 3-meter board (484.60) and placed second on the 1-meter board (444.20) at the 2012 conference championship meet. He has prevailed on the 1-meter board five times in nine competitions this season while earning SCAC Diver-of-the-Week honors three times. Howlett, who has national meet aspirations, has posted a 1-meter NCAA qualifying score three times and a 3-meter qualifying score four times in 2013. Head coach Anne Goodman James will also count on contributions from first-year swimmer Colin Chupik. Chupik, who eared SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week honors in Week 5 and has the fastest 100 butterfly (52.77) and second-fastest 200 butterfly (2:00.79) in the conference this season.
After a sixth-place finish in 2012 under first-year head coach Jon Duncan, Southwestern University appears primed for a strong meet. Heading into the 2013 championship, three first-year swimmers have posted top times in their respective events. Dylan Johnson has the third and second fastest times, respectively, in the conference in the 50 free (21.59) and 100 free (47.73), Tommy Frashier (SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 4) has posted the top times in the 500 free (4:46.01) and 1650 free (16:34.71), and Simon Gersib sits atop the current rankings in both the 200 butterfly (1:59.47) and the 200 IM (1:59.11). All three look like strong candidates to post the first All-SCAC performance by a Southwestern male swimmer since Graham Ice finished third in the 100 butterfly at the 2004 championships. Junior Kyler Wood, who earned his own Swimmer-of-the-Week honor in Week 1, has the top times this season in the conference for both the 100 (59.01) and 200 (2:12.04) breaststroke. Sophomore Ty Lapinski will be vying for All-SCAC honors in the 200 free (1:48.23 – second fastest in the SCAC), 500 free (4:51.79 – third fastest in the SCAC),
Centenary College, in its first season of SCAC competition, has names scattered throughout the top times leaderboard in several events heading into the 2013 conference championship meet. Coach Butch Jordan has three seniors who have posted conference-best times in three different events this season: Devin Ross in the 50 free (20.91), Matthew Pittman in the 100 free (45.17), and Ross Olivier in the 100 backstroke (54.05). Olivier was selected SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 8 after sweeping the 100 and 200 back in a dual meet against Southwestern. Junior Austin Butler, who was SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 2, has the second-fastest times in the 50 free (21.53) and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.76), the third-fastest time in the 100 backstroke (54.63), and the fourth-fastest times in the 100 free (48.24) and 200 free (1:48.99).
Austin College, which finished seventh at last year’s championship meet, will be led by the senior trio of Zach Bengston, Jacob Fenster and Mark Perez. Bengston swept the 1- and 3-meter board competition at three meets this year and earned SCAC Diver-of-the-Year honors in Week 4. Fenster has posted a top 10 conference time in the 100 butterfly (55.72) and Perez has posted team-best times this season in the 50 (23.09), 100 (50.76) and 200 (1:52.15) free. Head coach Brian Wright will also look for a strong performance from first-year swimmer Eric Gentzel (SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 9), who is coming off a victory in the 100 backstroke and a second-place finish in the 200 IM in the team’s last meet – a dual against McMurry.
WOMEN'S PREVIEWS
Trinity University head coach John Ryan returns all six of his swimmers who earned All-SCAC honors in 2012. Sophomore Lydia Jones placed third in both the 50 and 100 free and second in the 200 free at last year’s conference championship meet. Heading into this year’s championship, she has swam the fastest times in the league this season in the 100 free (54.65), 200 free (1:57.84) and 500 free (5:15.28) and the second-fastest time in the 50 free (25.11). She was selected SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 3. Junior Melanie Gustafson was an All-SCAC swimmer in three events last season, including an individual victory in the 400 IM. Currently, she trails only Jones with her time in the 500 free (5:15.86) and has the fastest time in the 1650 free (17:57.34) and the second-fastest time in the 400 IM (4:45.82) in 2012-13. Senior Mary Price is back to defender her 100 butterfly title and is on track to do just that as she has posted the league’s fastest time in that event this season (59.17). Junior Meghan Varner earned All-SCAC honors in 2012 in both the 100 and 200 butterfly with third and second place finishes, respectively, and senior Ana Price returns after a third-place All-SCAC performance in the 100 backstroke last year. Sophomore Kelly Horton, who finished third in the 100 breaststroke last season, currently has the best time in the league in that event (1:08.74) as well as the second-fastest time in the 200 breaststroke (2:34.26). The foursome of Jones, Holton, M. Price and senior Jennifer Ince swept the 200 and 400 medley relays at the 2012 championships and will be among the favorites at this year’s meet. Another swimmer expected to provide an impact performance is first-year swimmer Kara Beauchamp, who has been selected SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week twice this season (Week 1 and Week 8). Beauchamp has posted the best time this season in four events: the 200 breaststroke (2:28.58), 200 butterfly (2:10.10), 200 IM (2:12.97) and 400 IM (4:37.05). The Tigers return two All-SCAC divers in senior Ruth Hahn and junior Kathryn Sheldon. Hahn, the defending national champion in the 3-meter board, has earned SCAC Diver-of-the-Meet honors at the last two conference championships and was SCAC Diver-of-the-Week in Week 1. Sheldon won the 1-meter board at the 2012 championships. Senior Madison Kahler, the SCAC Diver-of-the-Week in Week 3, will try to make it an All-SCAC sweep for the Tigers for the third consecutive year on both boards.
Colorado College, who joined the conference prior to the 2007 season, posted its highest finish ever with a third-place finish at the 2012 conference championships. The Tigers return one All-SCAC performer in junior Brenna Day. Day won the 100 free last season, finished second in the 50 free and third in the200 free. Her best 50 free time this season (25.18) is currently the third-fastest in the league. First-year swimmer Olivia Dilorati has been impressive for Coach Anne Goodman James’ squad. The SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 5, Dilorati has the second-fastest 100 backstroke (1:02.04) and fourth-fastest 100 butterfly (1:01.01) times in the league this season. First-year swimmer Codi Haigney will be a contender in the distance races (200, 500 and 1650 free) and fellow freshman Megan Gillespie should contend in the 200 breaststroke, 100 and 200 butterfly and 200 and 400 IM. The Tigers return three-fourths of their All-SCAC 400 free relay team from a year ago in Day and sophomores Abby Sawyer Emma Holmes. On the boards, senior diver Nicole Fazio – a three-time SCAC Diver-of-the-Week this season – will try to crash Trinity’s All-SCAC party on both the 1- and 3-meter boards.
Centenary College head coach Butch Jordan will count on several different swimmers to score as his Ladies make their SCAC championship meet debut. Junior Michelle Gaubert, the SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 2, along with senior Laura Huning will both compete in the sprints (50 free, 100 free) and senior Hayley Schneider will be strong in the 100 and 200 free – having posted top five times in both events this season. Schneider also currently sports the league’s third-fastest 200 IM time (2:16.70) in 2012-13. Sophomore Christy Wolterman will vie for All-SCAC honors in the 500 free and 1650 free as will senior Laura Huning in the 100 and 200 butterfly. Huning currently has the second-fastest times in the SCAC this season in both events (59.37 and 2:13.40, respectively). Junior Rachel Olson has posted the second and third-fastest times, respectively, in the 200 IM (2:15.47) and 400 IM (4:52.20).
After a sixth-place team finish in 2012 under first-year head coach Jon Duncan, Southwestern University is looking for continued improvement in 2013. Sophomore Emily Haskell earned All-SCAC honors in the 100 breaststroke last season and has posted the second-fastest time in the event (1:10.53) this season. Haskell, who earned SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week honors in Week 7, also has the third-fastest time in the 200 breaststroke this season (2:35.04). Junior Mara Weidmann pushes Haskell in both events and has the league’s fourth-fastest 200 breaststroke time this season (2:39.18). Also returning is junior Sarah Alpini, who was a member (along with Haskell) of the Pirates’ All-SCAC 200 free, 400 free and 200 medley relay teams of a year ago. Senior Sarah McCausland and sophomore Emmy Gradisar are both coming off strong performances in the team’s last regular season meet against Centenary College.
Austin College, looking to improve upon its eighth-place finish from a year ago, may have found an anchor to do just that. First-year swimmer Lauren Wheeler has been re-writing the Austin College record book all season and currently sits among the league’s best in several events heading into the 2013 championship meet. Wheeler, the SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Week in Week 4, has the best 50 free time (25.02), second-fastest 100 free (54.67) and 200 backstroke (2:13.45) times and the fourth-best 400 IM time (4:54.76). Her Swimmer-of-the-Week award was the first for an Austin College female swimmer since 2006. Head coach Brian Wright will also look to seniors Maggie Autry and Dory Johnson and junior Anne Booker to score for the ‘Roos.
Competition at the 2013 SCAC Swimming and Diving Championships begins on Wednesday, February 13 with the men’s 1-meter diving at 8 p.m. CST. The swimming portion of the competition begins on Thursday, February 14 with morning preliminaries at 10:30 a.m. and finals following at 6:30 p.m.
