NCAA DIVISION II SWIM CHAMPIONSHIPS : Accardy Dips for Ladies to Salute 2nd Title in Row

Pete Accardy, swimming and diving coach at Cal State Northridge, used to pull on the old Speedos and compete when he was in high school and college.

Nowadays, however, there are only two occasions on which Accardy takes a dip in the pool:

In the summer at Del Mar, between watching a few of his thoroughbreds run, and every spring after one of his Northridge teams wins a Division II national championship.

Accardy hit the water again Saturday courtesy of the Northridge women’s team, which made quite a splash itself by outscoring Tampa, 441-285, at State University of New York, Buffalo, to win its second consecutive title.

Since 1975, Accardy’s swim teams have combined for 12 national championships. Only one team won by a bigger margin.

“People have been saying that this is the best women’s team ever assembled,” Accardy said. “I’d have to agree with them.”

Two more national records were felled by Northridge women’s swimmers.

Junior Tina Schnare, who has never lost a breaststroke race at the nationals, won the sixth individual title of her career. Schnare’s 200-yard time of 2:19.78 easily broke the standard of 2:21.10 she set as a freshman.

Schnare won the 100-yard breaststroke Friday but seemed disappointed with her performance. Not so after the 200-yard race.

“I just wanted to do the best I could,” she said. “And it was good enough.”

Chris Breedy who, like Schnare, has another year of eligibility remaining, set her second national record of the meet with a time of 2:04.38 in the 200-yard backstroke.

She was pushed during the first half of the race by teammate Stacy Mettam, who finished second in 2:06.78.

Mettam failed to defend her national titles in the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes during the week, losing twice to Breedy. But her effort Saturday was a personal best and it took a great deal of the frustration away.

“It felt good--finally,” she said. “I started off good, then I felt like I was starting to die, but the team was yelling at me to pick up my legs and I did. The team made me go.”

Breedy considered her second record of the meet proof-positive that she is closing in on her main goal--a berth on the United States Olympic team. She has qualified for the Olympic Trials in August in Austin, Tex.

“It’s a step,” she said. “I’m on my way.”

And she’s just as happy about the performance of Mettam, who is eight years her junior.

“She had a big breakthrough today being able to get out fast and then come back well,” Breedy said. “That’s great. She has a lot of talent.”

The same could be said about several members of the Northridge team.

Last year, the trio of Mettam, Schnare and Jude Kylander scored most of the points.

The wealth was more evenly distributed this time. Seven CSUN swimmers were among the meet’s top 20 individual scorers.

“We didn’t stand pat after last year,” Accardy said. “We went out and got better. We have better depth. Last year, other than Jude, we didn’t get a lot of scoring in the freestyle. This year we placed three in the 500.”

Another infusion of talent already has been promised, which is welcome news to those who don’t tire of competing for national champions.

“I can handle it one more year,” Schnare said. “Especially when we win by so much.”