Jan. 17, 2001
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TIGERS SET TO HOST IOWA STATE AND SMS
For the first time in over two months, the Missouri Tigers will compete in front of the home folks at the MU Natatorium this weekend. On Friday evening, the Tigers welcome Big 12 foe Iowa State to town. The meet begins at 6:00 p.m. Missouri will turn around and host Southwest Missouri State on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
Missouri enters this weekend's competition following a double-dual meet in Kirksville, Mo. last Saturday against Northern Iowa and Truman State. The Mizzou men swept the double-dual, recording an 86-7 win over Northern Iowa and a convincing 75-20 victory over Truman State. The women's results were split as the Tigers knocked off UNI 86-9, but were out-touched in the final race by Truman State. The final score of the meet was 52-43 in favor of TSU.
Iowa State's men enter Friday night's meet with a dual record of 2-2. The Cyclones fell to Nebraska in their last outing by a score of 125-118. The ISU women are 4-3 in dual action. The much improved Cyclones lost 130-113 to Nebraska.
On Saturday, the Tigers will take on a Southwest Missouri State team that has made huge improvements since last season. The men are undefeated, boasting a 7-0 dual meet record. The Bears swept a double-dual from Western Illinois and Texas Christian in their last outing. They drubbed TCU by a score of 78-35 and blasted Western Illinois, 91-22. The SMS women are 6-2 in dual action. At the same meet, the Lady Bears knocked off Western Illinois 89-22, but were not able to get past TCU, losing by a score of 68-45.
The Missouri men enter the weekend with a dual meet record of 4-1. The Mizzou women are 3-2.
HOFFER CLAIMS 100th CAREER COACHING VICTORY
Missouri Head Coach BRIAN HOFFER earned his 100th coaching victory of his career last Saturday at Truman State. Hoffer entered the meet with 98 career victories. The Tigers won three of the four duals against Truman State and Northern Iowa to bump Hoffer's career record up to 101-82. He is in his ninth season as the head coach of the Missouri Tigers.
MU SENIORS TO BE HONORED ON SATURDAY
Seven Mizzou seniors will be honored before the meet on Saturday. Missouri women KIM LAMBERT, KARA BRAMER, JEANNA WILLI and KRISTY WANNER own six of Missouri's top five times all-time. The seniors combined are listed 26 times on various relays that are currently ranked among MU's top five times all-time.
On the men's side, AARON LO, MIKE CERVENKA and JAMES HERRICK have stuck it out all four years and made significant contributions in turning the Missouri program into one of the best in the nation. Lo and Cervenka are ranked in five events among the Tigers' top five all-time and 11 times in relay events.
FERRARELLI HOPES TO KEEP ON ROLLING
Sophomore MATT FERRARELLI had a semester to remember, and the Tigers hope that the first two months of the season are only the tip of the iceberg.
Ferrarelli enters the second half of the season nationally-ranked in three events. He is currently ranked second in the nation in the 400 individually medley with a time of 3:50.69. He is ranked seventh in the 200 IM (1:49.30) and 14th nationally in the 200 backstroke (1:47.62).
Ferrarelli was named the Big 12 Male Swimmer of the Month for November and December. He has won every dual meet race he has been entered in so far this season, and has failed to finish in first place in just four events.
TWO OF THE NATIONS BEST WILL BE ON DISPLAY
Missouri's MATT FERRARELLI and Iowa State's PEDER SKOOG are two of the standout swimmers, not only in the Big 12 Conference, but in the nation as well. Skoog is ranked ninth in the country in the 100 backstroke and 14th in the 200 backstroke. Ferrarelli is ranked 17th in the 200 backstroke. Both competitors are ranked in the 200 individual medley, Ferrarelli No. 7 and Skoog No. 24.
Depending on the strategy used by the two head coaches, Friday's meet could feature an awesome head-to-head battle.
NATIONALLY-RANKED TIGERS
Matt Ferrarelli is not the only Tiger swimmer in the national rankings. According to Taper and Shave Magazine's College Quick 25, Missouri is ranked nationally in seven events.
Besides Ferrarelli, fellow sophomore RADU MICLAUS is ranked 18th in the country in the 200 butterfly. Miclaus' top time is 1:48.33.
Three Missouri relays are currently ranked. The men's 200 medley relay is ranked 17th in the country. The team of Ferrarelli, Lo, SHANE WHILDIN and MIKE CERVENKA posted a time of 1:31.41 at the Arkansas Invite. Two of the Tigers' women's relays are also ranked. Mizzou's 200 freestyle relay team consisting of JEANNA WILLI, ANDREA NIGH, TARA BROOKS and KIM LAMBERT own the 14th fastest time in the country. Nigh and Lambert join ELLEN CROSS and KARA BRAMER as the 16th fastest 400 freestyle relay team in the country. They posted a time of 3:26.65 at the Arkansas Invite.
MAKING THE GRADE
It was another solid semester in the classroom for the Missouri swimming and diving program. The women posted a fall semester GPA of 3.10 while the men averaged out at 2.79.
Of 25 MU student-athletes to obtain a 4.0 GPA, five of those were recorded by Mizzou swimmers. Current Tigers MATT FERRARELLI, KYLE SANDERS and KRISTY WANNER earned 4.0 GPAs in the fall while former Tigers JULIA ALEXANDER and KRISTIN ZIEMKE posted perfect scores on their way to earning degrees.
The Tigers had 18 swimmers show up on the Fall 2000 Student-Athlete Dean's List. Making the grade on the men's side were: BERT BAIOTTO, STEPHEN DARMITZEL, MATT FERRARELLI, DAN KNUDSON, RADU MICLAUS and ERIC SULLINS. On the women's side, 10 current Tigers showed up on the list: TIFFANY BOHON, KATY CHANDLER, ELLEN CROSS, LESLIE HOH, SHANNON HOLLSTEN, LIZZA IGOE, KIM LAMBERT, JESSICA SHAW, SARAH STOWE and MOLLY VETTER. Former Tigers pursuing their degrees that made the Dean's List were RANDY SWIFT and TAWNEY LARM.
HOFFER HAS HIS PROGRAM HITTING 100
The number 100 has become a milestone number for Hoffer's program. Last season, the Mizzou men and women eclipsed the 100-plateau in school records broken in Hoffer's eight seasons. The men and women have combined for a 101-82 record during Hoffer's tenure (57-38 women, 44-44 men).
The Tigers have also achieved in the classroom under Hoffer. Missouri has had 132 athletes selected to the Academic All-Conference teams over the last eight seasons.
TIGERS ARE A FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Four seniors, KIM LAMBERT, JEANNA WILLI, KARA BRAMER and KRISTY WANNER will play major rolls this season for the Missouri women. The rest of the contributors are all underclassmen. Twelve of Missouri's 20 swimmers are freshmen or sophomores.
The Mizzou men are in the same boat. Only seven of the Tigers 22 athletes are juniors and seniors.
FOUR TALENTED SWIMMERS SIGN LETTERS OF INTENT
The Missouri Tigers signed two women and two men to letters of intent in the early signing period. Highlighting the recruiting class as of date is St. Louis native REBECCA DAWSON. A product of the Rockwood Swim Club which has produced several Mizzou swimmers, Dawson is the defending state champion in the 100 butterfly and the runner up in the 200 individual medley. Dawson is regarded as one of the top swimmers in the state of Missouri.
Dawson will be joined by Tempe, Ariz. native LINDSAY PALBYKIN. Palbykin is the defending Arizona state champion in the 200 freestyle and a top-three finisher in the 100 free. She has only been swimming for three years.
On the men's side, the Tigers feel that they have found a diamond in the rough in Champaign, Ill. product RYAN SEARBY. An all-state football player, Searby will give up the helmet for goggles full-time as he is expected to help Missouri in the sprint free events.
Joining Searby is JOSH BOYD of Greenville, S.C. Boyd is a talented distance swimmer who along with current Tigers DANE PEDERSEN and STEPHEN DURLEY, will give the Tigers one of the deepest distance teams in the Big 12.