Feb. 22, 2005

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MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

(Listed in order of 2004 Big 12 Championship finish)

TEXAS
Texas aims to claim its ninth straight Big 12 Conference Championship and its 26th consecutive league title at the Texas A&M Natatorium. Despite the loss of world-record holders Ian Crocker, Brendan Hansen and Aaron Peirsol, the Longhorns return a host of upperclassmen who have made stellar contributions of their own in recent championship history. Rainer Kendrick, the 2002 Big 12 Newcomer of the Meet, is a three-time conference champion in the 200-yard butterfly as well as the 800-yard freestyle relay who looks to contend for his third title in the 200-yard individual medley as well. Meanwhile, John Nabors aims to make it three Big 12 titles in-a-row in the 1,650-yard freestyle. These All-Americas and the performance of a number of talented freshman will play an integral role in UT's defense of its conference crown.

At the 2004 Big 12 Conference Championships, Texas posted 1,072 points, topping Texas A&M (922) and Missouri (604). Texas claimed 17 of 21 overall titles en route to its 25th-straight conference championship. Garrett Weber-Gale was honored as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after earning a first-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay, runner-up finishes in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard freestyle as well as a fourth-place performance in the 50-yard freestyle.

Other returning champions from the 2004 championship roster include David Kahn (200-yard individual medley), Wade Kelley (400-yard individual medley), Tyler O'Halloran (400-yard freestyle relay) and Garrett Weber-Gale (400-yard freestyle relay). Seniors Andrew Davidson (200-yard medley relay) and Daniel DiToro (200-yard medley relay) won titles in 2003 while DiToro (200-yard medley relay), and Nathan O'Brien (200-yard backstroke) posted wins in 2002.

TEXAS A&M
The Aggie men set a record for points scored at the Big 12 Championships a season ago by racking up a total of 933. A&M has steadily increased its point total at the conference meet in each of the last four seasons. A&M has also finished second in each of the last four conference meets as well.

The Aggies hope to defend a pair of conference relay crowns won in 2004. A&M set a Big 12 meet record in the 200 freestyle a season ago by clocking a time of 1:17.72. The Aggies, who return three swimmers off that relay (Ozzie Gardner, Dan Blanchard and Andrew Sullivant), will be looking for their third straight win in that event at the Big 12 meet. A&M's Calvin Zielsdorf, Alfredo Jacobo, Scott Newmann and Blanchard captured first place honors in the 200 medley relay a season ago (1:29.05).

Freshman Eric Sehn enters the meet having won seven straight competitions. He has also won Big 12 Diver of the Month honors in October, November and January. Sehn was the Diver of the Meet at the Dallas Morning News Swimming & Diving Classic and has finished either first or second all season long with but one exception (third). Junior Andrew Sullivant enters the meet as the top-ranked 50 freestyler in the conference and earned a win in the 100 freestyle against the University of Texas three weeks ago in Austin. Sullivant was honored as the league's Swimmer of the Month in November.

MISSOURI
After finishing the 2003-04 campaign 1-7, the Missouri men's swimming and diving team rebounded with a 6-2 record this season - its best since the 1999-00 season, when they also went 6-2.

The Tigers are led in the pool by seniors Matt North and Chris McCrary, and by junior Evan Watters on the board. North recorded Top 5 finishes in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at last year's Big 12 Championships, and McCrary is a three-time NCAA qualifier and competed at the 2000 United States Olympic Trials. Watters, who turned in Top 5 finishes on all three boards at 2004 conference championships, set a new school record in the three-meter dive (385.87) in a win over Southern Illinois earlier this season.

WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

(Listed in order of 2004 Big 12 Championship finish)

TEXAS
The UT women are seeking their seventh conference championship in succession and are coming off an impressive season which saw the Longhorns post an 8-1 dual-meet record. Senior Sarah Wanezek, the 2003 and 2004 Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year, as well as a young, talented group of breaststroke and backstroke swimmers, will be essential to the success of Texas in defending its championship.

UT won its sixth-straight Big 12 Conference crown in its home pool last season (964 points) and edging runner-up Texas A&M (762.50) for the fifth time in the last six seasons. For the second time in as many seasons, Wanezek captured league titles in six events to pace the Longhorns, while Elizabeth Tinnon won four events in her first conference meet. All said, Texas earned the top finish in 13 of 21 events and Wanezek earned Big 12 Swimmer of the Meet for the second-straight season.

Additional returning champions from the 2004 Big 12 meet include Stephanie Anderson (500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle), Connie Brown (200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay), Jaclyn Faulkner (200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay), Kaela Humphries (200-yard individual medley), Nicole Pohorenec (platform dive), Katie Robinson (200-yard freestyle relay), and Kristin Siminski (200-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay).

TEXAS A&M
The Aggie women are hosting the Big 12 meet for the third time in the last six years. The Aggies look to their depth and their youth to try and carry them through losses of 2004 Big 12 Diver of the Year Alida DiPlacido and 2004 Newcomer of the Year Rebecca Sturdy to injuries. The Aggies have surpassed their previous season's point total at the Big 12 Championships in each of the last five seasons and hope to do so again in 2005.

A&M does return six All-Americas, a Big 12 champion and two Big 12 champion relay teams to this year's conference meet. Sophomore Jenna Wheeler was surprise winner a year ago in the 200-yard butterfly and has been even faster so far this season. Wheeler cracked the two-minute barrier for the first time ever in November and will looking to defend her title.

The Aggies won a pair of Big 12 relays a season ago, marking the first time in more than 20 years that they had earned a conference relay title of any kind. Junior Caty Lieb and senior Danielle Townsend both return off the winning 400 freestyle relay while Lieb, Townsend and senior Tiffany Moore return off the winning 800 free relay. A&M also returns senior Courtney Patterson and junior Erin Briskie who scored points for the Aggies at the 2004 NCAA Championships in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke, respectively.

Townsend and Kara Morelli have broken A&M school records in the 200 and 400 IM this season as well. Townsend was named National Swimmer of the Month the week after the Big 12 Relays and also was the Big 12 Swimmer of the Month that month (October).

KANSAS
The Kansas swimming and diving team is looking to improve on last season's third-place finish at the Big 12 Conference Championships. The Jayhawks finished the year with an 8-5 overall record in dual meets, including 1-4 in Big 12 duals.

KU finished third at the Nike Cup (Nov. 18-20) and tied for third at the Big 12 Relays (Oct. 15). Senior swimmer Amy Gruber was named the Collegeswimming.com's National Swimmer of the Week (Nov. 24) for her performance during the week of the Nike Cup. She recorded Kansas women swimming's first-ever A-Standard time at the Nike Cup when she won the 100 freestyle event (49.70 seconds). She was also named the November Big 12 Swimmer of the Month for the second time in her career.

Three Jayhawk divers, junior Casey Topol, sophomore Shelby Noonan and freshman Jenny Roberts, have each qualified to compete in the NCAA Zone D Regional Diving Meet, March 11-13.

IOWA STATE
The Iowa State swimming and diving team (3-3, 0-3) heads into postseason action having improved significantly over the past few weeks. The Cyclones, who posted a 3.18 team grade-point average in the fall, posted dominant wins over St. Olaf, Northern Iowa and Nebraska-Omaha and now set their sights on the conference championships in College Station this week.

Last year at the Big 12 Championships, the Cyclones finished fifth with 377 points. Six school records fell and nine swimmers recorded NCAA consideration times. Two Cyclone relays also swam provisional times.

Returning members for Iowa State include sophomore Lauren Breunig who recorded a NCAA consideration time in the 200 individual medley (2:03.08). Breunig, along with teammates Kim Schmugge, Sam Dyshaw and Brita Benson, was also a member of the 200 freestyle relay that recorded a provisional time (1:33.02). Cyclone diver Hillary Nichols also returns. One year ago, the junior set the ISU school record on the platform (363.30 points). The Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, native went on to break that record at the 2004 NCAA Zone Diving Championships (373.75).

NEBRASKA
Nebraska put together one of the most successful seasons in school history with an 8-1 dual mark in 2004-05, led by a strong group of sophomore distance swimmers and a solid diving corp.

Four Huskers set NCAA provisional qualifying marks during the season including sophomores Lauren Bailey and Kate Wheeler. Bailey, last year's 400-meter individual medley league champion, has set provisional-qualifying marks in the 1,650-free, 500-free, and 400 individual medly, while sophomore Kate Wheeler has added marks in the 500-free and 1,650-free. Bailey also set a Devaney Center Pool record in the 1,000-free (9:57.84) versus Truman State (Nov. 13). Sophomore Casey Schnack added to Nebraska's strong distance core with a provisional mark in the 1,650-free as well. Junior Amie Buoy won six diving competitions this year, and set NCAA-qualifying marks in both the one-meter and three-meter. Buoy was awarded Big 12 Diver of the Month (November) following a score of 500.45 on the three-meter at the Minnesota Invitational.

MISSOURI
The Missouri women's swimming and diving team enters the championships having won six of their last seven dual meets and owning a 7-2 dual record.

The Tigers are anchored by a group of six senior swimmers that boasts six Top 10 finishes in last year's conference championships, led by two each from Mariona Costa and Amanda Morford. Junior Nicky Frazier and senior Anna Massey pace the Tiger divers. Mizzou enters the competition with momentum after spoiling Nebraska's perfect season in their last dual action of the year.