NCAA DIVISION II SWIM CHAMPIONSHIPS : CSUN Teammates Vie for Supremacy in Backstroke

Stacy Mettam has won four NCAA Division II cham pionships in the backstroke the past two seasons and, presumably, her best efforts are yet to come.

She is only a junior.

But tonight she is in for the race of her young career. And when it’s over, Mettam may no longer be No. 1 in the nation--or even on the Cal State Northridge team.

Chris Breedy, a former American record-holder, is Mettam’s chief competition in the 100-yard backstroke tonight at the Division II national swimming and diving championships at the University of Buffalo natatorium.

Breedy, 28, became eligible to swim for Northridge at midseason and quickly took over the top spot in the national rankings for both backstroke races.

Her times of 58.84 for 100 yards and 2:06.41 for 200 yards were the fastest qualifying marks. Mettam’s efforts of 59.25 and 2:07.83 are second best.

Historically, however, Breedy has not dramatically improved her times by shaving and tapering. Mettam has.

All of which makes for an interesting scenario to climax a rather eventful past few months of competition during Northridge’s workouts and meets.

Regardless, both swimmers want to make one thing perfectly clear: Their rivalry is a congenial one. Sort of.

“We’re friends,” Mettam said, “but I think it would be difficult for us to spend a lot of time together because we’re both competitors.”

The battle for a competitive edge apparently knows few boundaries. Even seemingly innocent gestures sometimes have hidden meaning.

To wit: During one of Breedy’s first workouts with the team, Mettam let her start first in the lane.

This move made Breedy’s cupful of confidence runneth over. The fastest swimmer always goes first.

“If another backstroker came in, I would never relinquish that spot,” Breedy said. “Being an older swimmer, I know what it meant for me to go first in that workout.

“Feeling like I have the advantage is a major thing for me. You have to do that if you’re going to be confident about yourself.”

Mettam, 20, is not exactly lacking for confidence, either. So why had she chosen not to lead the pack?

“Because I didn’t want to get run over,” Mettam said. “I’m not a fast workout swimmer at all. Chris swims fast all the time.”

And she has done it for more than a decade.

In 1977, when Mettam was 9 years old, Breedy held the American record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.9 as a high school senior in Reading, Pa.

She accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Florida and set out to become an Olympian. Her quest was soon cut short. After placing third in the Division I 100 and 200 backstroke events her first two years, she dropped out of school, citing a dislike for the school.

For the next six years, she swam only occasionally in meets near her family’s home in Pennsylvania. But when she did, she swam surprisingly well.

“I was swimming really fast and I was completely out of shape,” Breedy said. “I kept thinking, ‘If I got into shape, I might seriously be dangerous.’ ”

Breedy was persuaded to go back to school by Coach Jim Montrella of Ohio State, who wanted to hire her as an assistant.

“He took me by the shoulders and said, ‘Go get your degree,’ ” Breedy said. “If I wanted to coach, I had to go back.”

Breedy had lost her Division I eligibility because of age limitations. She was steered toward Northridge but was at first told by an administrator that she was also ineligible in Division II.

Stu Kahn, coach at San Francisco State, found out that Breedy was, indeed, eligible for Division II but did not have a scholarship to offer. So Breedy went back to Northridge where she says she has found the perfect situation.

“I’ve had my best workouts with Northridge,” Breedy said. “It’s low key. . . . I provide my own motivation and intensity.”

And if that ever wavered, a quick glance to the rear did the trick.

“She put me first in the lane,” Breedy said of Mettam, “but then there was the pressure that she was behind me.

“There wasn’t a swim that went by that I didn’t know what her time was and how she swam. It might freak her out to hear that stuff, but you’ve got to be like that if you’re going to stay on top of things.”

Which is where she would like to stay.

There is an Olympic flame still burning inside. And she has a couple of reasons to be optimistic about her chances.

“I’ve been swimming very fast, even out of shape,” said Breedy, who says she is still far from being in top shape. “I couldn’t be more motivated.”

One source of motivation is the doubt of others.

“My parents think I’m too old,” said said. “Things like that motivate me.”

But mostly there is the void created by a promising career that almost came to an end. Her 56.9 effort turned in as a high school senior is still her personal best.

“I just don’t think I’ve achieved what I can achieve,” Breedy said. “I’ve never gone as fast as I could. I’ve never found exactly the right situation.”

But that has changed.

“At this time,” she said, “this situation is the best I could ever have.”

It’s not so bad for Mettam, either. She may have needed a boost after cruising to victory her first two years.

“I work a lot harder now,” Mettam said.

Breedy said both swimmers benefit from the competitive situation.

“It had to be tough for her to have me come in, but I’m there to help her swim as well as she can, too,” Breedy said. “I think she knows that.”

Mettam admits she was a bit nervous about being challenged by a swimmer with the experience of Breedy, but says she is better for it.

And if she loses, there is a bright side.

“I guess if I have to be beat it’s better that it’s Chris than someone else from another team,” Mettam said. “If we come in 1-2--no matter who wins--that’s a ton of points.”

A victory may be more important to Breedy considering the stage of her career and her Olympic hopes.

Mettam, who only trains during the school year, is not even sure she will keep swimming after her eligibility is completed.

“Even if I do finish second place the next two years, I still have two years of being the champion in two events,” Mettam said. “That’s something I can fall back on.

“We both deserve to win. It’s just a matter of who’s going to.”

If Mettam feels pressured, it is not outwardly apparent.

Northridge Coach Pete Accardy suspects that inside--the head and possibly the stomach--it’s a different story.

“We’ll see how Stacy handles it,” Accardy said. “So far, she seems OK. But anytime someone like that enters your domain, there’s some anxiety.”

Who will win? The question was posed to Accardy, who was understandably elusive with his reply.

“Uh. . . . well. . . . probably Northridge,” he said.