CSUN Plots Swim Strategy for CCAA Meet

Two days ago, Pete Accardy, coach of the Cal State Northridge swim team, sat down with members of his men’s team and told them to prepare to be humiliated.

A unique coaching strategy?

Well, let’s just say Accardy is a realist.

He knows that about the only chance Northridge has of defeating Cal State Bakersfield at the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. meet this weekend is if the Roadrunners get lost on the way to the pool.

And since the meet will be held at Bakersfield beginning today, that seems highly unlikely.

There are two reasons for Accardy’ pessimistic view:

Bakersfield swimmers will be shaved and rested for the CCAA meet, while those from Northridge are not. Secondly, the Roadrunners are probably better anyway. Bakersfield, the defending NCAA Division II champion, is ranked No. 1 again this season.

Which means, all things considered, that Northridge probably will be in for a rough go throughout the four-day meet.

“We have to concentrate on what we need to do individually and forget about what they’re doing,” Accardy said.

The Northridge men’s team, which placed third in the nation last season, has set a goal of qualifying at least three more swimmers for the Division II finals in Buffalo, N.Y., which begin March 9. The Matadors already have 11 swimmers and a diver who have met qualifying standards.

“We should qualify a minimum of three and a maximum of five more,” Accardy said. “If we do that, it will be a successful trip.”

Historically, Northridge swimmers shave their body hair the week of the national meet. The prevailing thought is less body hair means less water resistance. They also taper their workouts to ensure that they will be strongest during that time period. Bakersfield teams shave and taper for the conference meet, then shave again for nationals.

“There are different ways of doing it,” Accardy said, “but we’ve always been much better on our first shave.”

The Northridge men’s and women’s teams probably will be the only two squads competing unshaven this weekend. Even so, the men’s team likely will finish second while the women’s team is still a heavy favorite to repeat as CCAA champion.

Ten swimmers and four divers on the CSUN women’s team, which won the Division II title in 1987, already have qualified for the NCAA meet.

Among those are Stacy Mettam, Tina Schnare and Jude Kylander, who had a hand in 239 of CSUN’s 349 points at the nationals last season.