Northridge’s Kubiak Fails to Reach Division I Final in 100 Breaststroke

Five-time Division II champion Jeff Kubiak of Cal State Northridge did not qualify for the final in the 100 breaststroke Friday at the NCAA Division I swimming and diving championships at the University of Texas.

Kubiak’s 56.3-second clocking in the morning prelims ranked 31st overall. The top eight reach the final. The second eight swim in a consolation race. His time was the second best of his career, but six-tenths of a second slower than three weeks ago when he finished second in the Division II final.

“We have to teach Jeff to swim fast in the morning,” said CSUN Coach Pete Accardy via telephone. “He’s always been a better finals swimmer than a prelims swimmer, but in Division II he could get away with it. Here he can’t.”

Kubiak still has his strongest event--the 200 breast--to swim today. His best of 1:59.84 is a Division II record.

“I told him I’m going to get him up at 3 a.m., make him race hard at about 4, and we’ll pretend the prelims are the finals,” Accardy kidded. “That way, he should get in.”