Men's and Women's Swimming Returns To Action This Weekend
12/4/2001 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Dec. 4, 2001
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TIGERS DUAL WITH TRUMAN STATE AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS:
The Missouri men's and women's swimming and diving teams return to action this weekend at the MU Natatorium in Columbia as they take on Truman State and Southern Illinois in dual meet competition. The Tigers will swim Truman State on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. The Salukis of Southern Illinois come to town for a Saturday afternoon dual beginning at 2:00 p.m.
MIZZOU WOMEN SEEK 4-0 START:
The Missouri women will look to improve on their 2-0 start this weekend against Truman State and Southern Illinois. The Tigers defeated both Texas A&M and Kansas in dual meet action back in October. The Tigers spent the month of November competing at three invite meets. The women are coming off a victory at the Pittsburgh Invite back on Nov. 18. Truman State, the defending NCAA Division II Champions, enters Friday's meet with a dual meet record of 4-1. The Bulldogs own victories over South Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Delta State and Washington (Mo.) University. Truman State's lone defeat came at the hands of nationally ranked Illinois. The SIU women are 2-1 heading into Saturday's dual with Mizzou. The Salukis have defeated two future Missouri opponents, Drury and Evansville, and lost to Kansas in the season-opener. The Tigers and Salukis are familiar with one another after racing at the Illini Fall Classic in Champaign one month ago.
TIGER MEN CHALLENGE TWO UNDEFEATED OPPONENTS:
The Missouri men's team will have its' hands full this weekend against both Truman State and Southern Illinios. Truman State is 4-0 in dual meet competition this season. The TSU men own wins over South Dakota, Missouri-Rolla, Delta State and Washington (Mo.) University. Southern Illinois and Missouri have already tangled twice this season. SIU competed at the Big 12 Relay Meet in October in Columbia, finishing in fourth place behind Missouri. The Tigers won the Illini Fall Classic last month just ahead of the Salukis, who finished second. Southern Illinois is coming off a third place finish at the Northwestern Invite three weeks ago.
THE LAST TIME IN THE POOL:
The Missouri Tigers will compete for the first time since the weekend before Thanksgiving this Friday and Saturday in Columbia. The Mizzou women are coming off a dominate performance at the Pittsburgh Invite. The Tigers scored 1,493 points in winning the invite meet over Pittsburgh, Miami (FL) and Ohio State. The host Pitt Panthers finished second with 966 points followed by Miami (807) and Ohio State (481). The Mizzou women entered 18 times onto the all-time top five list at Missouri during the three-day meet, including five school records. The men's team came in second place with 1,051 points behind 18th-ranked Pittsburgh (1,573). The Tigers finished well in front of Ohio State (511.5) and Miami (357.5).
NATIONALLY RANKED TIGERS: While the Missouri Tigers continue to strive for a top-25 national ranking, several individuals find themselves ranked in the upper echlon nationally. As a team, the Missouri women were one of five schools to receive votes, but not get in the top 25 poll. Technically, the Tigers are ranked among the nation's top 30 teams, according to a panel of collegiate coaches. Individually, the Missouri women have eight swimmers ranked in the nation's top 50 in their individual events. Five of those swimmers are ranked in multiple events. On the men's side, six Tigers are ranked nationally, commpared to just two at this time last year. Two swimmers, Matt Ferrarelli and Radu Miclaus, are ranked in multiple events.
COAST-TO-COSTA:
Freshman Mariona Costa has taken less than three months to earn the title fastest breaststroke swimmer in Missouri swimming history. Costa broke school records in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the Pittsburgh Invite three weeks ago, and there is no reason to believe that she won't keep getting faster. She eclipsed the school record in the 200 breaststroke by over a second-and-a-half and broke the 100 breaststroke record by nearly a second. The Barcelona, Spain native also was part of the record-breaking 400 medley relay team at Pittsburgh.
FAST START FOR FERRARELLI:
Junior Matt Ferrarelli enters this weekend ranked No. 2 in the country in the 200 individual medley and No. 5 in the 400 individual medley. He is also ranked among the top 50 in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Ferrarelli is the defending Big 12 Champion in the 400 individual medley and placed in the top five in all four events at last year's Big 12 Championships in Austin, Texas. Ferrarelli has already garnered NCAA consideration cut times in both the 200 and 400 IM and will go after an automatic cut time in both events at the Big 12 Championships in February.
FRESHMEN OF INFLUENCE, PART I:
The Missouri freshmen have played a big part in the Tigers' early season success. Josh Boyd has won both of his 1000 freestyle races and has two second place finishes in the 500 freestyle. Matt North claimed his first collegiate victory in the 100 breaststroke. Boyd is currently ranked 49th in the country in the 500 freestyle and owns the third fastest time in school history in the 1000 freestyle. North's best time in the 200 breaststroke is good enough to rank him No. 50 nationally.. Justin Zeimetz also won his first collegiate race in the 100 backstroke at Illinois while Jacob Thomas finished right behind Zeimetz for second place.
FRESHMEN OF INFLUENCE, PART II:
Not to be outdone is the freshmen class on the MU women's squad. Mariona Costa and Becca Dawson are two of the top new faces in the Big 12 Conference. Costa has already won seven individual races this season and has already become the school record holder in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. Dawson is already the second fastest Tiger in school history in the 100 butterfly. After turning in a time of 2:03.24 at Kansas, she topped that time with a 2:02.71, the third fastest time in school history in the 200 fly. Dawson was one of eight swimmers at the Continental Airlines Invite to break the meet record in the 200 fly. Megan Morford and Lindsey Palbykin have both garnered victories this season while Amanda Morford has finished in the top-five in all but one her individual events. Amanda Morford is ranked 46th nationally in the 100 backstroke. Freshmen divers Amanda Maret and Anna Massey both won their first collegiate diving events at Illinois.
STUDENTS HAVE THEIR SAY: NEW POOL AT MIZZOU:
A student vote took place on the University of Missouri campus on Oct. 21-23 regarding expansion and improvements of the Student Recreational Center. Plans for the recreational center include the expansion of fitness and weight room space, new locker rooms, a new air ventilation system, new aerobic and marital arts studios, new sauna and steam rooms and a new climbing wall. The students voted on a fee increase of $75 per semester beginning in 2004 that includes a new 50m-competition pool with a separate diving well. It will also include a lap pool and a club pool.
