Swimmen ready for tough tourney

By KATE BLASCHAK
Collegian Sports Writer

With a 4-4 overall season record and a 1-2 record in the Big Ten, the men's swimming and diving team has had a mediocre season.

But Swimming Coach Peter Brown said the Lions are ready to take on conference schools in the Big Ten Championships which begin at noon today in Minnesota and end Saturday.

Brown added there will be some incredible competition and his team may have a hard time improving on its ninth-place finish last year.

"It's important to do what we're capable of doing and not worry about the others," he said. "We're going to try to hit everything, and make things happen."

Brown said Michigan (9-1) is favored to win the national title. If the Wolverines win the Big Ten crown this year, it will be their 10th consecutive title. Michigan is coached by 1994 Swimming Coach of the Year Jon Urbanchek and is recognized for having some of the best swimmers in the world.

Leading the Wolverine squad is Big Ten Swimmer of the Year Tom Dolan, who is the current world record holder in the 400 IM. Senior Gustavo Borges of Brazil is a seven-time NCAA champion and has won two Big Ten titles in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

Senior Steven West, who won the 200 breaststroke last year, and backstroker Royce Sharp, who represented the United States in the 1992 Summer Olympics, are both expected to repeat last season's success.

Host Minnesota (8-1), which Brown expects to finish in the nation's top 10, will see the return of seven placewinners, including the Big Ten record setter in the 200 IM, Paul Nelson.

Iowa (8-0) will have four placewinners returning. The Hawkeyes will be led by Rafal Szukala, the Big Ten champion in the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 1994 Swimmer of the Championship.

The Lions are returning three placewinners, including Alex Cunha, George Reimer and Chip Berry. Leading the diving competition will be 1994 Big Ten Diver of the Year Chris Devine, who triumphed in the 3-meter dive.

Diving Coach Craig Brown said the competition will be stiff for Devine to repeat last season's performance.

"I am not a person of predictions, but I certainly would not have predicted last year's results," he said. "This year Chris is a little more consistent, and he is doing a lot better."

Brown said Devine's biggest adversary is Minnesota's P.J. Bogart, who was the 1994 Diver of the Year and winner of the 1-meter dive. Bogart beat out Devine on both boards when the Lions clashed with the Golden Gophers in a dual-meet competition on Jan. 6 and in the Gold Country Invitational at Minnesota on Jan. 7.

Brown added he thought Devine was a little stronger athletically than Bogart, and Devine's hard work in the past months appears to be paying off recently.

"I definitely would not bet on those two," he joked.

Other diving competition will come from two international diving champions. Leading Ohio State will be Japanese national champion Yoshi Sakata. Spanish national champion Jose Hidalgo will be diving for Iowa.

Brown said he is hoping his secondary divers -- sophomore Seth Kane, freshman Drew Jackson and senior Ryan Smith -- will step up. He added that with all the great talent battling in Minnesota, the championships may be nothing more than a dogfight.