Big East Preview
February 20, 2008 09:14 PM | General
February 19, 2008
 |
||
| Kayla Andrews |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University swimming and diving teams will look to end the season on a strong note when they travel to the Big East Championships, Feb. 20-23, at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow, N.Y.
On the heels of a program-best third place finish at last year’s championships, the Mountaineer women’s team returns to the pool behind the strong swims of sophomores Kayla Andrews and Morgan Callaway.
Andrews enters the meet with league-best times in the 50 free (23.03) and the 100 free (49.52), the first a NCAA ‘B’ qualifier and the second a 2007 NCAA Invite time. Callaway holds the top finishes in the 100 back (55.46) and the 500 free (4:51.04). Both times are NCAA ‘B’ qualifiers.
“The 500 free, 200 back and 100 back with Morgan Calloway will be some pretty good events for us,” first-year coach Vic Riggs said. “The 50 and 100 meter free are strong events for us with Kayla Andrews leading the way.”
Kitti Veisz will also be counted on for a strong performance in the 100 and 200 meter breast stroke. Veisz set a Natatorium record with a time of 1:04.69 in the 100 meter breast earlier this season.
The medley relays should also be a strong point for the Gold and Blue.
“On the women’s side, our strongest events are going to be our 200 and 400 meter medley relays,” Riggs said. “Our relays on the women’s side should be pretty competitive all the way around. If we’re not competing to win we should be top three.”
With just 13 swimmers on the women’s side in what has been a year of transition for the program, West Virginia just simply doesn’t have the numbers available to seriously contend for a top finish.
Each swimmer on both teams can only enter three individual events and four relays. With the limited numbers on both teams, it is evident that depth and not necessarily skill separates these teams from contending for a conference title this year.
“We have some gaping holes. Morgan (Calloway) is seeded third or fourth in the Big East in the 200 free but she’s seeded first in the 100 back so we’re going to put up Shaunna (Purtell) in the 200 free,” Riggs said. “We just simply don’t have the numbers right now.”
What the team does have is an opportunity to gain valuable experience, while competing for a solid finish.
“On the women’s side I think we have a good shot at being top three. We could probably do as well as second,” Riggs said. “We just don’t have that depth yet to really think about winning the Big East. I think we’ll be close.”
 |
||
| Nick Delic |
The Mountaineer men’s team enters the meet as defending Big East champions and will rely on the strength of seniors Nick Delic and Kevin Donohue to lead a squad that is missing many of last year’s key contributors.
Delic enters the championships with an NCAA ‘B’ cut time in the 100 fly (48.12), the third-best time in the 50 free (20.74) and the fourth-best time in the 100 free (45.57). Donohue leads his team and the league in the 100 breast with a NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 54.66.
“Nick (Delic) is going to be good in the 50 and 100 free and 100 fly. Without putting to much pressure on him, we should compete for at least two wins out of those,” Riggs said. “Kevin (Donohue) should be really strong in the 100 and 200 breast and Michael (Walker) should be really competitive in the 200 and 400 individual medley and the 200 back.”
With only 11 swimmers on the men’s side they face even greater odds at achieving an upper echelon finish than the women. Realistically, Riggs is aiming for a top five place and the chance to lay some solid ground work for next year.
Admittedly this has been a transition year for WVU swimming but sustained success appears to be on the horizon. With recruiting going well, both sides will have more swimmers next year, and eventually, Riggs hopes to have 25 athletes on each side.
While a Big East championship may not be within reach this year, Riggs believes the positive attitude and perseverance that his teams have shown amid the many challenges this season will be the very foundation on which future achievements are built.
“I have been talking to the team about character. We’re the defending champions on the men’s side, and because of the numbers, there is no way in the world we’re going to repeat,” Riggs said. “How we handle ourselves and how we carry our heads and our attitudes is going to say more about our program than any swim in the water.
“We will represent the University well, take it one swim at a time and good, bad or indifferent, we’ll learn from it and be better for it next year,” Riggs said.
