Jan. 17, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The 19th-ranked Missouri men's swimming and diving team (6-1, 1-0 Big 12) heads to Pittsburgh, Pa., Friday for what will be a tough road test for the Tigers. The team will square off against No. 16 Penn State, Maryland, Villanova and host Pittsburgh at Trees Pool. Friday's action gets underway with diving at 3:45 p.m. ET and swimming at 5 p.m. ET. Saturday's events commence with diving at 9 a.m. and swimming at 10 a.m.
Last Week's Matchup
The Tigers raced Missouri State for the fourth time in 2007-08 on Jan. 12, earning a 166.5-133.5 victory over their in-state rivals. This was the second time the team beat the Bears in a dual setting this season. The teams split the meet's 16 events, including the two relays, but Mizzou gained considerable ground on the Bears with their proven depth. The Tigers went 2-4-5 in three events and claimed the top-three spots in a pair of races.
Scouting Penn State
The No. 16 Nittany Lions are 3-1 on the season with their only loss coming to No. 14 Virginia by a score of 183.5-169.5. PSU defeated defending Big East Champion West Virginia, 194-106, to open the season and have since beat Michigan State (214-138) and Indian River CC (146-59). The Nittany Lions topped six other teams to win the Princeton Big Al Invitational in early December. They won by 377.5 points over second-place Princeton.
Scouting Pittsburgh
The Panthers are 4-1 on the season now after polishing off the defending Big East Champ Mountaineers on the road, Jan. 12, by a score of 131-110. Pitt won the meet with strong swimming and a sweep on both the 1- and 3-meter boards. The Panthers' lone loss in 2007-08 was to now-No. 22 Notre Dame on Nov. 9.
Scouting Maryland
Maryland is the second Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foe that the Tigers will have faced this season (MU defeated Virginia Tech, 135-108, on Nov. 4 at the Mizzou Dual Challenge). The Terrapins won their season-opener versus John Hopkins by a score of 154-108 and edged conference foe Duke, 149-144, at home in early November to remain undefeated. The Terps suffered their first and only loss of the season, Jan. 10, to Maryland-Baltimore County by a 142-92 count.
Scouting Villanova
The Wildcats (2-3) have the only losing record of the five teams to face off in Pittsburgh's Trees Pool. The Wildcat men earned both of their wins on the road in the month of December, taking down Georgetown, 140-100, and Widener, 125-80. VU's three losses came against a pair of Big East teams, Connecticut and Seton Hall, and cross-town rival LaSalle.
Diving Dominance
The Tigers dominated in the diving well against Missouri State on Saturday. Sophomore Greg DeStephen earned victories in both 1- and 3-meter diving. The Columbus, Ohio, native was the only diver to top the 300-point mark on the 1-meter board (302.50). Hometown sensation Dante Jones, a newcomer to the team this year, rocked the runner-up spot with his pair of silvers. Thanks to sophomore Ryan Meeker's 321.50 showing on the 3-meter, Mizzou swept the top-three spots in the event.
I'll Be Back
As fellow Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger said in "The Terminator," sophomore Martin Cernansky was back in the pool in 2008 in winning style. Cernansky racked up a pair of victories in the breaststroke category, Saturday, after clocking a 57.27 in the 100 breast and a 2:04.36 in the 200 portion of the event. The Austrian went on to capture a third-place finish in the 200 IM (1:55.03) for good measure.
Going the Distance
The Missouri State meet served as a great demonstration of the Tigers' depth in the mid-free and distance events. In the 200 free, sophomore Dylan Lynn raced a 1:41.22 to lead a Tiger 1-2-3 finish in the event. The men repeated their fortune once again in the 500 free, as redshirt freshman Cameron Sellers (4:39.91), junior Brad Hubbard (4:42.11) and freshman Spenser Lauver (4:42.50) swept the top-three spots. Lauver and Sellers also went the distance in the 1000 free, with Lauver touching in first in a time of 9:34.78, just one-hundredth of a second ahead of runner-up Sellers.
Photo Finishes
In addition to Lauver and Sellers' tight finish in the 1000 free, another photo finish was to be had at the Mizzou Aquatics Center on Saturday. In the much quicker 100 fly, junior Gilad Kaufman and Missouri State's Victor Serra battled it out for the top spot. Both swimmers ultimately touched in at 50.18 to earn a hard-fought tie.