USC’s Keller Has Free Reign at NCAAs

Leave it to a freshman to make an impact for USC in the NCAA men’s swimming and diving championships.

Last year, it was Erik Vendt who upset three-time 1,500-meter champion Ryk Neethling and shatter a U.S. record in the process. This year, that freshman is Klete Keller.

Keller, 19, reinforced his claim as one of the best U.S. freestyle swimmers by claiming NCAA titles in the 200- and 500-yard events last week at College Station, Texas. He became the first USC swimmer to pull off an NCAA double since Dave Wharton in 1990. He was also an integral part of the Trojans’ fourth-place finish, their best since 1991.

The two victories aren’t shocking. At the Sydney Olympics, Keller won the bronze medal in the 400 freestyle and was a part of the United States’ silver medal-winning 800 freestyle relay.

If anything, Keller’s performance keeps him on a fast track toward 2004. He is in Austin, Texas, this week for the Phillips 66 National Championships, which determine the team for the FINA World Championships this summer in Fukuoka, Japan.

“He was pretty spectacular,” USC Coach Mark Schubert said. “What is amazing is the way he swims. He always swims the back half [of races] a lot faster than the first half.”

In the 200, Keller trailed by a full body length on the final lap but rallied to defeat Texas’ Chris Kemp by .26 of a second. The previous night, Keller came from far behind in the 500 to touch the wall in 4:14.67, edging Chris Thompson of Michigan by .04.

Schubert said Keller’s 6-foot-6 frame and finishing ability help set him apart.

“It just doesn’t bother him to have people in front,” he said. “At 300 yards he was dead last. He was still behind at 400. It’s a big difference when he gets close. He knows where that wall is and he goes after it.”

Keller’s performance has Schubert eyeing a bright future for the program. Vendt did not win this year but helped the Trojans with third-place finishes in the 500 and 1,650 and a second in the 400 intermediate medley. Sophomore Jeff Lee broke the school’s 100 butterfly mark.

Senior Ryosuke Imai won’t be a part of that future. But he left an impact after setting Trojan marks in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke.

“He came as a walk-on at USC after spending his freshman year at a university in Japan,” Schubert said. “The only event he had ever swum was the 50 backstroke. He’s won Pac-10 championships and he has rewritten all of our breaststroke records.

“He’s been a dominant force for us.”

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Despite coming in second to Stanford at the Pacific 10 Conference gymnastics championships, defending NCAA champion UCLA retained its No. 1 ranking as it hosts the West Regionals on April 7.

The Bruins will compete with Brigham Young, Oregon State, California, Boise State and Cal State Fullerton. The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors not from an advancing team from the regional will receive a berth in the NCAA finals April 19-21 at Athens, Ga.

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The Long Beach State women’s tennis team won its ninth consecutive match and improved to 14-2 this year with a 7-0 victory Tuesday over Boise State. The 49ers are off to their best start since 1996. . . . UCLA will retire the No. 29 jersey of former men’s volleyball All-American Steve Salmons at its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match Friday against Hawaii. Salmons played on national championship teams in 1979 and 1981. . . . UCLA will host Azusa Pacific, Cal State Los Angeles and UC Irvine in its first home track and field meet Saturday.

COLLEGE DIVISION

After a year at San Bernardino Valley College, sophomore guard Bobby Burries made an immediate impact for the Cal State San Bernardino men’s basketball team and was one of the catalysts to their California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title and NCAA West Regional final appearance.

Burries was chosen as CCAA player of the year. He averaged 14.8 points and was among the league leaders in three-point shooting and free-throw shooting.

Cal State Bakersfield’s Audrie Magdaleno was selected as the CCAA’s top women’s player. Magdaleno, a transfer from Western New Mexico, was directly responsible for the first-year program recording a 21-6 mark and subsequent playoff berth, averaging 19 points and six assists.

San Bernardino’s Larry Reynolds was named CCAA men’s coach of the year for the third time in a row and Azusa Pacific’s Bill Odell earned Golden State Athletic Conference honors. Bakersfield’s Greg Bruce was CCAA women’s coach of the year.

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Jay Caligiuri hit three home runs in his first three at-bats for Cal State L.A. in its 9-6 victory Friday over Cal State Dominguez Hills. Earlier this season, the junior third baseman hit four home runs against Pt. Loma Nazarene and has 11 for the season.