Swimming & Diving Hosts 2003 MVC Championships This Week
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Feb. 18, 2003
Carbondale, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University men's and women's swimming and diving teams will host the 2003 MVC Swimming & Diving Championships at the Student Rec Center on Feb. 20-22. The preliminaries will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Finals will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday with Saturday's final session beginning at 5 p.m.
The Saluki men and women will be looking to continue two championship streaks this weekend. The SIU women have won the last five titles and seven of the eight MVC crowns, while the men will be looking for their second straight crown after winning six of the last eight MVC titles. The Salukis will be challenged for both titles by Southwest Missouri State. The Bears beat both Saluki squads in a dual meet on the last event on January 25 in Carbondale, the last competition for either SIU team.
The Saluki men beat SMS by 27.5 points last year to keep the MVC title in Carbondale after SMS won the two previous titles. The men's meet will have just three teams (SIU, SMS, Evansville) competing after Bradley and Northern Iowa dropped the sport last year, making this possibly the last men's MVC Championship Meet.
"Last year we competed and swam the best that we could and won the meet. We want to do that this year also. What we need to do real well are the things you can't put your hands on. We have to be emotionally high and have a desire to race and win events. It should be a very close meet but If we can do that, I give us a good chance to win the meet," said Rick Walker, SIU men's head coach.
"We're not focusing on winning the last MVC meet, we just want to win the meet. If that's the case, then we'll worry about this being the last MVC meet later."
The Salukis will be led by 2002 champion Derek Helvey (400 IM) but will be without the services of Brent Menghini (200 free and 200 fly champ), who is out with an injury. SMS returns 500 and 1650 free champ Eric Bintner and 1 and 3-Meter diving champ Jonathan Waldon.
"Our distance events are pretty strong and our depth is a key. We're pretty good across the board and have a lot of good swimmers, but not the few great ones like Brent Menghini who's hurt. The team has to step up and fill his spot. He'll be sorely missed but we can still win this meet. We need to focus on doing the best job that we can and let the chips fall where they may," added Walker.
The Saluki women beat Evansville handily (833-705.5) last year to keep the MVC trophy in Carbondale for the fifth straight time, but women's head coach Jeff Goelz expects a much closer meet in 2003.
"SMS is the favorite after beating us in the dual last month. SMS, Evansville, Northern Iowa and Illinois State all have kids who can win events. We need a total team effort. There are certain areas where we're very strong and also where we're a little weak. Everyone is going to count. We lost duals to Western Kentucky by four points and SMS by six points and if one person swam a little faster the whole meet could have been different. If we swim the way we're capable of we can win the meet but we need everyone to score points," Goelz stated.
SIU's Brigitta Olson (200 fly) and SMS' Brianne McGuirk (200 breast) are the lone returning champions for their respective squads, while Evansville returns champions Kelli Kirn (100 fly), Jamie Davidson (100 breast) and Emily Tomes (200 IM).
With just one returning champion, Goelz feels the sprints will be the key for SIU to win its sixth straight title.
"Our sprint freestyle group is our weakest area and they have to step it up a notch. We have the talent to finish three people in the top eight in the 50 free, which will help us get off to a good start Thursday. We're good in the backstroke, fly, IM and distance free areas, but everyone in the league sprints well so we have to compete in that area," said Goelz.
The 2003 MVC Championship meet runs Thursday through Saturday and is free and open to the public.