Dec. 7, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The University of Missouri men's swimming and diving team traveled to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the University of Kentucky Wildcats in a nonconference dual meet. The men's team (3-2, 0-1 in the Big 12) however didn't fare well, as they suffered a 166-133 setback. The men's team had their winning streak of three straight duals snapped.
The men's team started off the meet strong, winning the 400 medley relay. The team of Matt Ferrarelli, Matt North, Radu Miclaus and Tyler Belanger set a season's best time in the relay with a time of 3:22.43.
From there the men's team won only 4 of the next 15 events, with Ferrarelli winning three of the four.
Ferrarelli, the Big 12's November Male Swimmer of the Month, carried over his hot performance from the Minnesota Invite winning the 100 (50.71) and 200 (1:49.37) backstrokes and the 200 individual medley (1:51.84). His time in the 200 backstroke is a season's best for him this year.
"Right now Matt is swimming the best I have seen him swim in the past two years," said Hoffer. "He's looking like the guy that qualified for the NCAA's as a sophomore and hopefully he can maintain it and qualify for the NCAA's this year."
Tyler Belanger won the 50 freestyle in 21.04 to round out the men's first place finishers. Belanger also added a second place in the 100 freestyle (46.31).
North had two second place finishes in both the 100 (57.71) and 200 (2:06.63) breaststrokes to go with his first place finish as a member of the 400 medley relay team. He later added a fourth place in the 200 individual medley (1:58.30).
Two freshmen came into their own and impressed. Wade Pennington and Dan Buhr both had good races. Pennington finished in second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:44.89 and fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:46.14). Buhr finished fourth in the 50 freestyle (22.38), the first time he has scored in an individual event this year. Buhr also added a second place as a member of the 400 freestyle relay team with Belanger, Ryan Searby and Chris Lukas.
Lukas, another freshman, finished second behind Ferrarelli in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.13.
Other top men's included Dane Pedersen's second place in the 1,000 freestyle (9:45.05), a season's best time for the senior. Blake Davis finished behind Pedersen in the 1,000 free with a season's best 9:48.85. Davis added another third place in the 500 freestyle (4:45.51). Senior Radu Miclaus had two second place finishes in both the 100 (50.38) and 200 (1:50.08) butterflys. Miclaus's time in the 200 butterfly is a seasons best.
The men's diving team was led by senior Jamie Sweeney. Sweeney finished second in the 3-meter (287.70) and third in the 1-meter (269.63). Freshman Aaron Wionzek finished behind Sweeney in both boards with a score of 255.42 in the 3-meter and a 268.20 in the 1-meter.
Both the men's and women's team next compete in Tempe, Arizona on January 4, 2003 in an exhibition meet against host Arizona State and Wyoming during their winter training season before resuming their regular season with a home dual meet against Southwest Missouri State on January 18.