SMU is back in action on Friday and Saturday when it hosts the 21st annual SMU Classic at the Westside Natatorium in Lewisville. Participating teams include LSU, Louisville, Miami, NC State and USC.
SMU Mustangs
2014 NCAA Finish: 20th
2014 Conference Finish: 2nd, AAC
Coach: Steve Collins (29th season)
Head Diving Coach: Jim Stillson
LSU Tigers
2014 NCAA Finish: 36th
2014 Conference Finish: 7th, SEC
Coach: Dave Geyer (5th season)
Head Diving Coach: Doug Shaffer
Louisville Cardinals
2014 NCAA Finish: 15th
2014 Conference Finish: 1st, AAC
Coach: Arthur Albiero (7th season)
Head Diving Coach: KZ Li
Miami Hurricanes
2014 NCAA Finish: N/A
2014 Conference Finish: 9th, ACC
Coach: Andy Kershaw (2nd season)
Head Diving Coach: Randy Ableman
NC State Wolfpack
2014 NCAA Finish: 16th
2014 Conference Finish: 4th, ACC
Coach: Braden Holloway (4th season)
USC Trojans
2014 NCAA Finish: 5th
2014 Conference Finish: 3rd, Pac-12
Coach: Dave Salo (9th season)
Head Diving Coach: Hongping Li
On The National Scene…
SMU finished the 2013-14 season with a 20th-place finish at the NCAA Championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Mustangs compiled six All-America honors from five different student-athletes. Marne Erasmus led the team with a pair after finishing third in the 100-yard butterfly and breaking her own school record with a 51.50. Erasmus was also part of the 400-yard medley relay team with Nina Rangelova, Isabella Arcila and Rachel Nicol that placed 11th. Tara-Lynn Nicholas picked up the Mustangs’ last honor as she placed eighth in the 100-yard breaststroke.
American Standouts…
The SMU swimming and diving team placed nine student-athletes on the 2014 all-conference team. Participants were awarded the honor for placing top three in their respective events at the inaugural conference championship held Feb. 19-22. Members of the all-conference team included Isabella Arcila, Monika Babok, Ursa Bezan, Marne Erasmus, Nathalie Lindborg, Kirsty McLauchlan, Tara-Lynn Nicholas, Rachel Nicol and Nina Rangelova.
NCAA Standards…
The Mustangs posted 18 individual `B’ standard times and four provisional relay times during the 2013-14 season. Of those qualifying times, SMU sent five relay teams and four individuals to the NCAA Championship. Marne Erasmus posted a pool and school record in the 100-yard butterfly to earn an `A’ standard time of 51.73 at the American Athletic Conference Championship.
Looking Back…
The SMU women’s swimming and diving team opened the 2014-15 season with five top finishes at the North Texas Relays on Sept. 26 at the Southlake Natatorium. The Mustangs finished in the top-two of every event, which included competitors from North Texas and Tulane.
SMU opened the event with a first-place performance in the 3×100-yard butterfly relay as sophomore Marne Erasmus, junior Tiffany Sudarma and freshman Adrienn Santa clocked in at 2:52.70 for the win.
Santa was also part of the Ponies’ 800-yard freestyle relay team comprised of senior Nathalie Lindborg and sophomores Kirsty McLauchlan and Ursa Bezan that posted a 7:40.63, and the 200-yard freestyle relay of N. Lindborg, senior Isabella Arcila and freshman Kyra Kondis that clocked in at 1:37.44 for the top spot.
The two remaining first-place finishes came in the 3×100-yard breaststroke where seniors Rachel Nicol and Erica Donadon and sophomore Tara-Lynn Nicholas outpaced their opponents to touch the wall in 3:18.07, and the 1,500-yard freestyle relay in which Bezan, McLauchlan and newcomer Morgan Johnson secured the victory in 15:37.39. The time was over five seconds faster than the Mustangs’ closest competitors.
Freshman Madeline Wainman secured a runner-up finish in one-meter diving, posting a score of 426.40.
Summer Success…
Seven swimmers competing in eight different countries earned numerous medals and had record-setting performances to make 2014 a successful summer for the Mustang women’s swimming and diving program.
Recently-graduated Nina Rangelova and Monika Babok, seniors Isabella Arcila and Rachel Nicol, junior Anna Volchkov and sophomores Marne Erasmus and Tara-Lynn Nicholas made a splash on the global scene with their performances.
Returning For More…
The Mustangs return 19 letterwinners for the 2014-15 season. Included in the list are 17 All-America honors, 11 individual conference championships and team members from 11 different conference championship relay teams.
Welcome To The Hilltop…
Alexandra Manasso (Austin, Texas; freestyle), Morgan Johnson (Olney, Maryland; distance freestyle/butterfly), Kyra Kondis (Sandy Spring, Maryland; sprint freestyle), Kathleen Charron (Atlanta, Georgia; individual medley/freestyle), Adrienn Santa (Pecs, Hungary; freestyle/butterfly), Madeline Wainman (Coquitlam, British Columbia; diving) and Tiffany Sudarma (Austin, Texas; backstroke/butterfly) arrived the Hilltop this fall.
A three-year letterwinner at Westwood High School, Manasso was a second-team all-state selection, as well as an all-state honorable mention honoree. She also earned first-team all-district honors and helped her team to a pair of district championships in 2011 and 2012. For her work in the classroom, Manasso earned academic all-state accolades and was a member of both the National Honor Society and National German Honor Society. She also swims club with Lost Creek Aquatics.
Olney, Maryland, native Morgan Johnson comes to SMU after earning four varsity letters at National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. She was an All-Met Honorable Mention selection from 2012-14 and earned All-Independent School League accolades in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Johnson was also named her team’s MVP in 2011 and 2014. Her prep career also includes participation with Machine Aquatics.
A teammate of Johnson’s at Machine Aquatics, Kondis, will also make her debut at SMU. Kondis competed at NCSA Junior Nationals in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and at the Arena Grand Prix Series in Austin. She graduated in the top five percent of her class with the third highest grade point average.
Charron, who lettered four years at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, served as her team’s captain and was named Most Valuable Swimmer as a freshman and earned the Coaches’ Award as a sophomore. During her junior and senior seasons, she garnered Girls’ High Point honors. Charron was a member of Swim Atlanta from 2011-14 and competed at NCSA Junior Nationals in 2013.
A four-year letterwinner from Pecs, Hungary, Santa earned the Sportswoman of the Year of Arpad Award in 2012, 2013 and 2014 as well as the Arpad Award for Sport Achievement in 2013 and Arpad Award for Academic Work in 2014. As part of her club (PSN ZRT), she garnered Sport Achievement Award accolades each year between 2006 and 2014.
Diver Madeline Wainman finished first in the one-meter dive and second in three-meter at the 2013 B.C. Summer Provincials. At the 2013 Canada Summer Games, Wainman was third in three-meter synchronized, ninth in platform and 10th in the three-meter. As a member of the White Rock Divers, she was named the Top Female Athlete in 2013 and 2014.
The final addition to the program is transfer Tiffany Sudarma. Sudarma comes to the Hilltop from Miami after spending a season with the Hurricanes and competing at the ACC Championship. She spent her freshman season at Daytona State and competed in backstroke and butterfly events.
College Swimming News courtesy of SMU Swimming and Diving.
Interesting schedule for NC State. They are also scheduled to swim at home against Georgia Saturday morning, October 18.
Dawgfan – that’s not uncommon, especially since only a small handful of swimmers are taken to the SMU Classic.
This is going to be a GREAT early season meet. Really looking forward to following the results.