NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The University of New Orleans swimming and diving
teams will head to the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Swimming and Diving
Championships this week, competing Feb. 18-21 at the Tracy Caulkins
Pool located at the Centennial SportsPlex.
Head coach Randy Horner has a simple mission for his team, that to lower the school and personal records. The rest will take care of itself as the Privateers look to establish themselves under the second-year coach as a team that can compete for conference championships.
This year, the men's program has already set or tied 19 school records with just one, an 100 free mark set by Patrick Daigle in 1991, remaining from the original run of the program. A second record by Daigle in the 50 free still stands, equaled by current UNO swimmer Jarryd Gregoire earlier this year.
Ranked ninth in the most recent CSCAA/CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major Division I poll rankings, the Privateer men rank behind defending conference champion Missouri State (second), Denver (third) and Western Kentucky (seventh) amongst SBC programs.
Based on times heading into the meet, several UNO men swimmers would rank amongst the top eight in the conference in their event.
Petar Petrovic paces the way with two top eight rankings, seeded third in the 100 back (49.57) and seventh in the 200 back (1:50.44). Rounding out the men, Mark Schindler is sixth in the 100 breast (57.65), Ben Solari is seventh in the 200 breast (2:06.55).
On the diving board, in 11-dive 1-meter, Johnny DeMaine ranks fourth with a score of 259.05 while Jonathan Field is not far behind in sixth with a score of 248.05. On the 3-meter when 11 dives have been performed, Field ranks fourth (264.45) while DeMaine is eighth (203.35).
The more established women's program has set eight school records with newcomers having a hand in each of the new marks.
Having unprecedented success this year, the Privateer women will look to increase the amount of qualifiers for individual event finals. Since 2006, the team have had just three swimmers each year reach the finals with only one - Ashley McClelland in the 2007 100 back - placing fifth or better.
To finish better than sixth in the conference for the first time since the program began SBC competition in 2004-05, the team will need to continue the progress that has seen the team enter the Mid-Major rankings for the first time in school history.
Currently ranked 23rd, the Privateer women trail defending champion Western Kentucky (third), Missouri State (ninth), North Texas (11th) and Florida Atlantic (13th) in the most recent poll.
Depth may factor in for the UNO women, as they have plenty of swimmers ranked in the points, yet it will be top eight performances that will provide the lift necessary to pass FAU and DU.
Cristina Lay leads UNO with two times amongst the top eight. Lay ranks sixth in the 400 IM (4:32.35) while ranking eighth in the 100 breast (1:07.23). Catalina Mendieta ranks seventh in the 50 free (24.06) and
Competition begins Wednesday with the men's 3-meter diving prelims at 2:30 p.m. followed by the finals in the same event, plus the 200 medley and 800 free relays at 7 p.m. that night. The championships continue each day with prelim competition at 10:30 a.m. with finals starting at 6 p.m.
Sun Belt Swimming and Diving Championships Schedule of Events
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Afternoon Session (2:30 p.m.)
Men's 3-Meter Diving Prelims
Evening Session (7 p.m.)
200 Medley Relay Finals
800 Free Relay Finals
Men's 3-Meter Diving Finals
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Morning Session (10:30 a.m.)
500 Free Prelims
200 IM Prelims
50 Free Prelims
Women's 3-Meter Diving Prelims (12:30 p.m.)
Evening Session (7 p.m.)
500 Free Finals
200 IM Finals
50 Free Finals
200 Free Relay Finals
Women's 3-Meter Diving Finals
Friday, February 20, 2009
Morning Session (10:30 a.m.)
400 IM Prelims
100 Fly Prelims
200 Free Prelims
100 Breast Prelims
100 Back Prelims
Men's 1-Meter Diving Prelims (12:30 p.m.)
Evening Session (7 p.m.)
400 IM Finals
100 Fly Finals
200 Free Finals
100 Breast Finals
100 Back Finals
Men's 1-Meter Diving Finals
400 Medley Relay Finals
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Morning Session (10:30 a.m.)
1650 Free Prelims
200 Back Prelims
100 Free Prelims
200 Breast Prelims
200 Fly Prelims
Women's 1-Meter Diving Prelims (1 p.m.)
Evening Session (6 p.m.)
1650 Free Finals
200 Back Finals
100 Free Finals
200 Breast Finals
200 Fly Finals
Women's 1-Meter Diving Finals
400 Free Relay
