NCAA DIVISION II SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS : Three-Star Performance Gives CSUN Women Title

Pete Accardy, coach of the Cal State Northridge swimming and diving team, took a traditional dip into the Belmont Plaza pool Saturday night. And he did it with a smile.

Smile was about all Accardy could do after the skam--that’s with an “S” for Schnare, a “K” for Kylander and an “M” for Mettam--his women’s team pulled during the four-day-long NCAA Division II swimming and diving championships in Long Beach.

Northridge outscored Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 349-274, to win its first women’s national championship since 1982 and the trio of sophomores did most of the damage.

Had they been a three-woman team, the 107 points Schnare, Kylander and Mettam scored in individual races would have placed them ninth. Counting their roles on relay teams, they took part in the scoring of 239, or 68.5%, of CSUN’s points. Take away the points from diving, and it would be 78.4%.

“We’ve had three very good swimmers here at one time other years, but never have they been as dominant as those three are right now,” Accardy said.

On Saturday, Schnare and Mettam each won another first-place plaque to hang on the wall of the apartment they share. Kylander joined them by winning the 100 free, and then again when it came time to start tossing folks into the pool.

The women’s team still has only two national titles compared to nine by the men, but that number could double by the time these sophomores complete their eligibility.

Counting Saturday, Schnare and Mettam have each won four individual titles and four relays in two years.

Kylander is ahead of schedule by most standards but is the late bloomer of this group. Along with winning the 100 in 51.87 on Saturday, she won the 50 freestyle on Wednesday and was fourth in the 200 freestyle on Friday. Last year she qualified for the meet, which was held in Orlando, Fla., but did not advance to the finals in any of her events.

“Watching them (the others) do so well gave me incentive, I guess,” she said between races.

Accardy’s battle from now on will be keeping the trio interested in improving.

Schnare and Mettam earned nicknames from Accardy during the last year with their attitudes about workouts.

Accardy calls Schnare “Pout” because “she’s a moody person” and Mettam “Sit” because “during workouts she manages to come up with some pretty strange ailments. She sits out more than she should.

“They weren’t as aggressive in workouts this year,” Accardy said. “When you’re on the way up you struggle. When you’re No. 1 and everyone is taking a shot at you, it can be scary. Different people handle it differently.”

It will be interesting to see if success will mellow the feisty Kylander, who took a remark by a spectator personally before the 100 and then swam a personal best of 51.87.

The spectator had unwittingly added fuel to Kylander’s fire by suggesting she didn’t have a chance to beat Laura Atteberry of Tampa.

“I just turned away,” Kylander said after also swimming away.

Like Schnare and Mettam, Kylander has been an overachiever since coming to Northridge. She went to high school in Mercersburg, Pa., a small town near Maryland and not all that far away from Clarion.

It was at the Division II nationals in Orlando three years ago that she approached Accardy about swimming for this team. Her brother, a member of the Clarion men’s team, had advised her to head west.

“I wasn’t fast whatsoever, but he was still nice to me,” Kylander said. “A lot of coaches won’t even talk to you if you’re not fast all the time.” Accardy is doing less talking now, and more hugging.

Schnare had an impressive but hardly overwhelming career at Manhattan Beach, which may explain why she thought Accardy was suffering from water on the brain when he told her after her first meet that she was capable of swimming the 100 breaststroke in 1:05 and the 200 in 2:20.

“I thought he was crazy,” Schnare said. “I said, ‘Nooo, and he said, ‘Yeees. ‘ “

Her winning times last year were 1:04.76 and 2:21.81--both national records. In a slower pool this week, she had times of 1:05.73 and 2:23.35).

Mettam also won her share of races in high school at El Segundo, but didn’t receive much attention from Division I recruiters.

After two impressive victories last year, she admits to thinking--actually more like dreaming--about the possibility of a transfer.

“I’m sure the thought entered our minds,” she said, referring to Schnare. “But we’re committed to the team. Pete has done a lot for us.”

For Kylander, added confidence made a big difference.

“People say 25% of swimming is training and coaching,” she said. “I knew I had that. The other 75% is confidence. I believe in myself more than I ever have.”