UCSD Meet Takes on Big-Time Look
Division III men’s and women’s college swimming has gone corporate?
Yes, Saturday’s meet between Kenyon College of Ohio and UC San Diego at UCSD’s Canyonview Pool (11 a.m.) is being called the “Chevrolet-Geo Division III Swimming and Diving Dual Meet Challenge.”
There will be even be two automobiles parked in front of the pool to highlight the firm’s presence and to help promote the event.
Why all the hype for a regular-season swimming meet?
The Kenyon men’s team has won 12 consecutive Division III national championships and the Kenyon women’s team has won eight national titles in a row. UCSD normally finishes second to Kenyon at the NCAAs, but the schools rarely meet during the regular season.
The Triton men have been runners-up to Kenyon twice in the NCAA tournament and have finished third seven times.
In addition, more than 15 individual NCAA champions will be on display.
The last dual meet between the schools was in 1986 in Gambier, Ohio. Kenyon’s men won, 59-52, but the meet was not decided until the last relay. The UCSD women won, 62-60.
UCSD Coach Doug Boyd is expecting the same kind of meets Saturday.
“Kenyon has to be the favorite in both,” Boyd said. “I’ve scored the meet and the men’s meet seems to be capable of being closer. Our goal is to have each meet go down to the last relay.”
Boyd is also expecting some records.
“There will tons of lifetime bests, unshaved times,” Boyd said. “From a spectator’s point of view, this is as exciting as it gets.”
Boyd said the showdown would have never taken place without the help of Ron Daniels, whose son is one of Boyd’s assistant coaches. Daniels works for car company, which sponsors a player of the game award on NCAA college football broadcasts.
“Our schools could not have pulled this off financially without the help of Chevrolet,” Boyd said. “We just don’t have that kind of money for athletics. I realize a corporate sponsorship is against the norm for Division III athletics.”
The races to watch should be the 200 individual medley. The Tritons’ Travis Miller, last year’s NCAA champion in the 100- and 200-meter backstrokes, will go against John Landreth, last year’s 200 IM and 100 butterfly champion. In the 1991 NCAA final, Landreth nipped Miller by a tenth of a second.
The women’s meet should be highlighted by the 50 freestyle--a duel between Kenyon’s Carolyn Peticolas, the NCAA 50 freestyle champion, and UCSD All-American freestyle swimmers Christy Parker and Jamee Couch.
The dual meets will run simultaneously, alternating between men’s and women’s competition.
The best part about the event?
Admission is free.
Tritons on the move: The UCSD men’s basketball team has taken advantage of upsets within the top 10 to vault from ninth to fifth in the latest Division III poll. The Tritons are 14-4 and have won nine consecutive games.
Toreros start shorthanded: Ed Collins, University of San Diego men’s tennis coach, would feel a lot better about facing No. 3 Stanford and No. 8 California Friday and Saturday with J.J. Shobar and Akida Mashaka. But it appears Collins will have neither player for this weekend or for the season.
Shobar, who went 16-13 at No. 4 singles last year, will apparently redshirt while rehabilitating an injured elbow. Mashaka, who was not in USD’s rotation much last year, but would have played No. 6 singles this season, has dropped out of school because his financial aid has run out.
“He’d been waiting for months to see if it was coming through and he finally got word last month,” Collins said. “It’s frustrating. This kind of thing usually doesn’t happen at the semester. It’s not the school’s fault. It’s not Ronald Reagan’s fault. It just happened.”
Collins said Mashaka has transferred to Cerritos College. Does Collins expect to see Mashaka again? “Good question.”
Better than advertised?: USD tennis Coach Sherri Stephens is usually not one to gloat over her team, but she is excited about this year’s squad.
“This is one of the strongest teams I’ve ever had,” Stephens said. “We might have the strongest four, five and six players in the country.”
The group comprises sophomore Kara Brady, Maddy Diekmann, a transfer from Brigham Young, and freshman Tracy Ishii.
Stephens said the Toreras are better than their No. 18 preseason ranking. They will get a chance to start proving it Saturday at home (1:30) against 11th-ranked Pepperdine, which has already won three of its four matches.
