Kubiak’s Record Helps CSUN Earn Early Swim Lead

Jeff Kubiak, attempting to affix his personal stamp on the NCAA Division II swimming championships, made his first move in that direction Wednesday.

The Cal State Northridge senior established a Division II record in the 200-yard individual medley during the morning preliminaries, then improved upon it during the evening finals.

His time of 1:51.85 gave him his second straight national title in the event.

Kubiak, though, is just getting started.

He hopes to win the 400 individual medley on Friday and the 200 breaststroke on Saturday.

Northridge Coach Pete Accardy calls it a “realistic” goal.

Considering that Kubiak is the defending champion and national record-holder in the 200 breast and that the 200 individual medley may be his worst event, Accardy wasn’t exactly going out on a limb.

Later, Accardy said Kubiak had an “excellent” chance of winning the 400 individual medley.

Kubiak’s victory Wednesday at the Justus Aquatic Center helped Northridge to a 42-point lead over Cal State Bakersfield as the Matadors began their quest of a sixth straight national championship.

Also on Wednesday:

--CSUN’s “kiddie corps” of sophomore Sandy Barnes and freshmen Stacy Mettam, Tina Schnare and Jude Kylander set a national record in the 200-yard medley relay, winning in 1:47.25.

The Lady Matadors were seeded 10th going into the meet, but they had the second-fastest time in the preliminaries, then led Clarion (Pa.) State from start to finish in the final.

Said an obviously elated Accardy: “We went from 10th to a national record, so you’ve got to be very pleased with that.”

--Blair Nogosek, a senior from Monroe High School, unseated teammate Roland King as national champion on the one-meter diving board.

King was second.

Last year, King won on the one- and three-meter boards, with Nogosek second in both events.

“Basically, it was a matter of one of them missing a dive and one of them not missing a dive,” said CSUN diving Coach Van Austin. “Hopefully, they’ll finish 1-2 in the three-meter, too, but I’m not about to pick a winner.”

--Although Reed Gershwind, Scott Warren and Ben Davis failed to qualify for the finals, as Accardy had expected them to, CSUN was able to pile up 120 points. Bakersfield scored 78.

Gershwind, second to Kubiak in the 200 individual medley last year, finished 11th this time. He had the flu earlier this month and he told Accardy Wednesday that he had trouble breathing in the water.

Warren, sick all day Tuesday with food poisoning, impressed Accardy just by showing up. He placed 11th in the 500 freestyle.

Teammate Jon Carpadakis was third.

“Jon and I had been training together all year and I thought I would have been right there with him,” Warren said.

Davis missed qualifying for the finals in the 50 freestyle by four hundredths of a second. He was second in the consolation final to place 10th overall.

In the 200 individual medley, Kubiak left little doubt as to who was in charge of the event.

Having shaved his body hair on Tuesday night--he left himself with a “buzz” cut on his head--Kubiak shaved .39 of a second off the national record in the preliminaries.

In the final, he trimmed another .15 of a second off the record as he made up about a three-yard deficit in the breaststroke leg, then sprinted to the pad in the freestyle.

“The second half is my strongest part of the race,” Kubiak said.

Notes

Other than the national record set by the 200-yard medley relay team, CSUN’s young women’s team didn’t fare well Wednesday. Freshman Tina Schnare’s 13th-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley was the highlight . . . Freshman Angel Myers of Furman set a national record in the 200 individual medley, then came back about 20 minutes later to win the 50 freestyle . . . Furman leads the women’s team standings with 89 points. CSUN is sixth with 47 . . . Several Northridge swimmers have been wearing “Peter Power” T-shirts, with a caricature of Coach Pete Accardy on the back. The caricature, which depicts Accardy with his arms and index fingers reaidsed and wearing red Speedos and his signature red-and -white “CSUN” baseball cap, was drawn by junior Scott Warren. Teammate Jon Carpadakis did the lettering.