5 members of the University of Virginia men’s swimming team have been suspended from competition for the fall, 2014 semester for what the school is calling “violations of University of Virginia policy and athletics department rules,” the school said in a statement released on Wednesday.
The statement said that University officials will not have additional comments on this matter, but multiple sources have told us that the suspensions are related to a hazing incident. Virginia would not confirm or deny that information.
Seniors Kyle Dudzinski, David Ingraham, Jake Pearce, and Charlie Rommel and junior Luke Papendick will miss the meets against Navy (Oct. 24), Michigan and Penn State (Nov. 7-8 in University Park, PA), and NC State (Nov. 15) in addition to the Georgia Fall Invitational (Dec. 5-7 in Athens, GA).
All 5 swimmers represented the Cavaliers at the 2014 NCAA Championships.
This is the second-straight season in which Virginia has announced suspensions for a significant portion of its team in the fall semester, after 8 were suspended for a meet against Navy in the 2013-2014 season.
The release specifies that the suspensions are from competition.
SwimSwam asked Athletics Director Craig Littlepage specifically for comment on the hazing allegations on September 29th, and while he would not (and still has not) confirmed the nature of the violations, he did reaffirm in a general sense the university’s commitment to fighting hazing.
“We cannot comment on alleged student misconduct matters,” Littlepage said. “You should know that the Department of Athletics and the University have policies in place strictly prohibiting hazing and that we educate our students on the dangers associated with that type of activity. To the extent concerns regarding hazing ever are raised in connection with any activity or program at the University, we have a well-established protocol for fully investigating those allegations and preventing retaliation against anyone who may raise such concerns.”
The University of Virginia recently launched a website for students to report acts of hazing and sexual misconduct. In April of this year, two fraternities had their charters revoked by the University of Virginia for hazing.
Believe Papendick is transfering to the Big Ten.
What happened to papendick and ingraham they are no longer on the roster
In reply to In What World? In case the individual comes back I said that Team Spirit is overated not that there isn’t a form of it. To much is made of it in many places and used as a pitch in recruiting. Just read the naive swimmers comments on choices made.
Does every coach have to think a like? My personal Mt Rushmore has been for a long time “Doc” Counsilman, George Haines, Don Gambril and the recently passed Peter Daland. I swam for one and was on staff of couple International trips with two and knew Peter Daland very well. For the last 50+ years he always greeted me with the same complement. The man that got… Read more »
Back to setting mouse traps and pointing fingers “Oh Really?”?
You missed the message. You are recruited over in football and you fight for your position. The Coach doesn’t ask the team for permission to recruit a boy that fits the Frat House standard.
The coach doesn’t ask for permission, true. Not sure about other sports, but in swimming, the team members are asked to be with the recruit all weekend to get to know him. After the recruiting weekend. the coach requests feedback on each recruit. If the feedback is not part of the decision, then why ask for it? Your assumption is that the feedback is based on whether they fit in the “frat house”. That means you already have decided exactly what the situation is.
Based on their results in the pool the men’s program should be more concerned with bringing in fast kids that want to race rather than taking advice from the inmates on which kids will fit the Frat House.
Good luck against the ACC, the other programs are rapidly upgrading with fast and seriously committed swimmers.
Go to a football practice. There is a fight everyday in the competition for playing time. Can’t be hazing the guy that is going to take your playing time.
And these constant agendas about an old coach feel like a program of mouse traps and leave an impression that you would rather be mediocre and be able to point fingers than create an environment attractive… Read more »
You’re right, UVa will be hard pressed to compete in the conference. I’d recommend you draw a timeline and see when the decline began. Yes, other programs have improved. But the cliff drop in performance… I’ll let you draw your conclusions.
Football.. yes a very honorable sport where nothing untoward occurs. Each headcount scholarship player, all 85, comes to practice, does his work, competes for his spot, and goes home and has milk & cookies. You never hear anything about a football player doing anything wrong. Kudos.
Of course you assume that swimmers don’t have to compete for their spot and for the meager scholarship dollars available (9.9 to distribute among the entire team).
I am in the know. I promise you all that. This isn’t an angry parent, or a UVA hater. In fact, there probably isn’t a group I respect more than the UVA swim team. But at the same time, I know there have been people on this team in the complete wrong. These 5 men who were suspended were punished for actions that they shouldn’t have committed in the first place. All 5 were on the team two years ago when Mark Bernardino COMPLETELY hushed up another similar hazing situation, in which the men’s team was very much involved in. They had been warned to cut the crap and stop hazing, yet they still chose to continue. Yes, hazing occurs… Read more »
False name FellowWahoo – Do you fall in this category (“All you pathetic parents out there who have nothing better to do with your lives than comment online under false names”)?
You seem like an insider in need of better glasses. Your view of things is distorted… not to mention wearing blinders since what you mentioned extended well beyond just these five men, and beyond the men’s team.
Team Spirit overrated as the sport is an individual sport with all swims added together to make a team. You basically perform independent of each other. On a relay you don’t have to be friends although it is nice it is not necessary. Tem togetherness is overworked and tends to limit an individual’s scope on campus. Activities to create something are ridiculous and there should be none anywhere. If there is team togetherness it comes gradually thru sa season thru workout and meets not outside the pool. You go to college to be eel rounde and be a part of the total campus.
CoachGB – what sport do you coach? You must not be a swim coach. These athletes do a lot more than go to a meet and swim an event. They are with each other every day in the pool and out. They absolutely are a team and are there for each other through good and bad. If you think swimming is an individual’s sport then you don’t know swimming.
In What World – Coach GB is a swim coach. A long-time Division I swim coach, in fact.
He also won a few races in his lifetime swimming with his “individual sport” philosophy. It shouldn’t be hard to figure out who he is, but I won’t outright give it away. Pull up a list of Olympic medalists, and I bet it will jump out at you.
That is true, COACHGB, but doesn’t it make for a better and healthier environment (for practice, travel) when the swimmers do feel a sense of being “connected”? These are kids, after all, and although swim is an individual sport, I would think that it would benefit them all if they were on a team where they felt they “belonged” and had a sense of pride at being part of the team. Would you rather coach an individual who only looked out for his own well-being and didn’t give a care about any of the others? If one doesn’t want to be a part of a team, then don’t swim on one. I agree that you cannot force “togetherness”, but you… Read more »
Totally agree COACHGB. I’ve always said I care a lot more about my Team Biology than Team Chemistry.
CoachGB & NONA – @USASwimming retweeted this SwimToday tweet yesterday (10/24) afternoon:
“Joining a swim team means joining a group of people who will always have your back, cheer you on, and push you to achieve your dreams.”
http://goo.gl/acgMQo
The takeaway: TEAM is important. It’s about the people, the experiences, and the relationships these young people establish (chemistry).Yes, a coach wants swimmers who can deliver in the pool (biology). But in college/amateur athletics, coaching ought to also be about mentoring them to be rounded outside the pool… and after their swimming careers are over.
So, your evidence that team is important in swimming is based on a MARKETING CAMPAIGN designed to GET MORE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR SWIM TEAMS?
LOL!
Your head must explode when you watch TV…after all, every car company has a commercial claiming that their car is the best. Can’t imagine how you’d work your way through that one.