March 21, 2000
2000 Men's NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships
March 23-25, 2000 - University Aquatic Center - Minneapolis, Minn.
Nine Sun Devils NCAA-Bound
The Arizona State men's swimming and diving team seeks a top-10 national finishat the NCAA Championships, held March 23-25 in Indianapolis, Ind. Eight Sun Devil swimmers Sun Devil swimmers (Pablo Abal, Attila Czene, Adam Guzauskas, Otto Hinks, Anders Lyrbring, Simon MacDonald, Scott VonSchoff and Bo West) and one diver (Marc Briggs) will make the trip and compete in a total of 18 events. The meet is being hosted by the University of Minnesota at the University Aqutic Center. Trial heats will begin at 12:00 p.m. while finals will commence at 7:00 p.m. CST each day.
Note the Format
The NCAA Men's Swimming Championships will be contested in short-course
meters for the first time in the meet's 30-year history. Following the Championships, a committee of Division I coaches will vote whether or not to use this 25-meter format in future seasons or return to competition in the traditional short-course yards setup.
Poll Position
The Arizona State men enter the NCAA's ranked ninth in the current College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll, moving up two spots from the previous rankings. ASU began the 1999-2000 season at #15.
Looking Back at the 1999 NCAA's
At the 1999 NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Ind., Arizona State placed 16th overall with a total of 84.5 points. Eight Sun Devils earned All-America honors, including Francisco Sanchez who notched ASU's highest individual finish by placing seventh in the 50 freestyle at 19.71. Sanchez also scored points in the 100 free and as a member of three relay teams, including the 200 medley squad featuring Abal, Guzauskas and MacDonald which placed eighth in a time of 1:28.37, second-fastest all-time at ASU. Abal earned individual All-America status by placing 15th in 100 backstroke competition (48.97), while West did the same with his 11th place showing in the 200 (1:36.88).
ASU Championship History
The Arizona State men last placed amongst the nation's top-10 in 1998, when the Devils finished 10th. In 1983 ASU enjoyed its highest team finish in school history with a sixth place showing under Head Coach Ron Johnson. Sanchez was the last Arizona State individual NCAA Champion, winning the 50 free competition in 1996 in a time of 19.35. Five Sun Devil swimmers and divers have earned national championships, while 64 athletes have garnered All-America honors since the program was founded in 1963.
Head Coach Michael Chasson on the NCAA's
Finishing in the top-10 is our goal. I think, realistically, the highest we can get is top-seven. The freestyle relays should be in the top-eight, and in the medley's they'll have to work harded to get there. We have a chance for all five [relays] to be in the championship finals if they all swim well.
Head Coach Michael Chasson
Currently in his second season at ASU, Michael Chasson is the first head coach in school history to oversee both the men's and women's swim programs. In 1999, he guided Sun Devil men to a 16th place national showing, while the women finished 23rd at the NCAA Championships. Chasson came to Tempe with impressive credentials, having guided the Harvard men to six Eastern Seaboard Championships and four NCAA appearances. He is assisted at ASU by Victor Wales, Derigan Silver and Keri Buff. Matt Rose and Norbert Agh are the graduate assistant coaches.
Diving Coach Mark Bradshaw
Mark Bradshaw, a former U.S. Olympic team member, is in his third year as Arizona State's diving coach. Under his tutelage four Sun Devil divers have qualified for the NCAA Championships, with two earning All-America honors. Bradshaw spent the 1996-97 season at Ohio University, where he led the Bobcat women to a second place conference finish.
2000 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship Bios
Pablo Abal
Sr. - Back/Free
Buenos Aires, Argentina
1999-2000: Versatile swimmer making his third consecutive appearance at the NCAA's ... qualified for 100 backstroke competition with 48.48* showing at Texas Invitational ... 50 freestyle time of 20.16 in Texas was also good enough for NCAA competition ... won a total of four races during dual meet season ... will swim opening backstroke leg on ASU's 200 and 400 medley relay teams, and also contribute to 200 free relay squad ... a First Team Pac-10 All-Academic selection.
Marc Briggs
Jr. - Diving
Madera, Calif.
1999-2000: Emerged as a leader among ASU diving corps in his first year at Division I level ... qualified for Nationals by virtue of fourth place overall finish at the NCAA Zone E Champions in Federal Way, Wash. ... included in that performance was third place finish on the one-meter board and runner-up showing on the platform with a season best score of 483.40 ... against Texas notched highest one- and three-meter marks of 570.50 and 632.25, respectively ... holds team's top scores in all three events ... became Sun Devils' first Pac-10 Diving Champion since 1983 with 514.55 total on the three-meter board in Los Angeles (Feb. 24) ... conference title was one of six victories on the year ... a Maroon and Gold Scholar Athlete at ASU.
Attila Czene
Fr. - IM/Fly
Budapest, Hungary
1999-2000: One of the top individual medley and butterfly artists in the world ... will contend for NCAA crowns in both the 200 IM and 200 fly ... time of 1:44.08 in 200-yard IM competition at the Pac-10 Championships (Mar. 2) broke the conference record of 1:44.70 set by USC's David Wharton in 1989 ... mark also shattered Neil Cochran's 13-year old school record (1:46.65) and was the fastest time among collegiate swimmers this year ... has won all five 200 IM races entered ... also established new Arizona State record in the 200 fly with 1:44.49, second place performance at Pac-10's (Mar. 4), besting time of 1:45.50 swam by Andy Jameson in 1987 ... sixth fastest NCAA qualifier in aforementioned event ... saw first 100 fly action of the season at Pac-10 Championships (Mar. 3) and placed fifth in NCAA consideration time of 48.98 ... will also compete at national championships in 800 free relay and both medley relays. International Competition: Reached the pinnacle of the swimming world on July 25, 1996 with gold medal and Olympic record-setting performance of 1:59.91 in the 200-meter IM at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta ... won 200 fly title at U.S. National Championships in Feb. 1996 with time of 1:59.47 ... touched the wall first in 200 IM competition (2:00.17) at April 1994 U.S. Nationals ... member of Athletes in Action squad that captured gold in the 400 medley relay (3:47.12) at 1996 U.S. Summer Nationals ... scored a third place finish of 2:01.84 in the 200 IM at 1994 World Champi
onships in Rome, where he was also a member of Hungary's 400 medley relay team which placed third (3:39.47) ... Hungarians also placed third in 400 medley at 1999 World Championships in Perth, Australia in a time of 3:39.53. Personal:
Majoring in business at ASU ... a graduate of Csete Balazs High School ... parents are Sandor and Valeria Czene ... has an older stster, Aniko ... enjoys listening to music in his spare time ... born June 20, 1974 ... full name is Attila Czene.
Adam Guzauskas
Jr. - Breast
Oak Park, Ill.
1999-2000: Seeks first individual All-American accolades after earning similar honors as a relay performer the past two seasons ... winning performance of 54.98* in the 100 breaststroke at Texas Invite makes him the 23rd-fastest qualifier at the NCAA's ... Austin, Texas was also the site of fastest 200 breast time of the season (2:01.31*) ... both marks were fastest in his career ... breaststroke-leg swimmer on 200 and 400 medley relay squads ... seven individuals victories this season are more than any other Sun Devil.
Otto Hinks
Jr. - Breast
Ottawa, Ontario
1999-2000: Used stellar performance at the Pac-10 Championships to vault himself into the NCAA's ... finished sixth at the conference meet in 100 breaststroke competition (54.72) and will enter Nationals as the 15th-fastest qualifier ... 10th place Pac-10 finish of 2:01.14 ranks him 31st nationally heading into NCAA meet ... both times were lifetime bests and tops among Sun Devil breaststrokers this year ...led 1-2-3 Sun Devil sweep in 200 breast to seal upset victory over rival Arizona ... a Second Team Pac-10 All-Academic honoree.
Anders Lyrbring
Fr. - Free
Kungalv, Sweden
1999-2000: World-class freestyler appearing in his first NCAA Championships ... automatic qualifier in the 200 free by virtue of 1:35.89*, runner-up finish at the Texas Invitational ... time was fourth-fastest among collegiate swimmers this year and ranks third all-time at Arizona State ... Texas Invite was also site of NCAA qualifying times in the 100 (44.22*) and 400 (4:23.96*) free ... 100 free mark established new personal best ... member of the Sun Devils' three participating freestyle relay squads ... touched the wall first in six races this season.
Simon MacDonald
So. - Free/Fly
Arnprior, Ontario
1999-2000: Talented sprinter competing in a total of six events at Nationals ... comes to Minneapolis as the 32nd fastest qualifier in the 50 freestyle after 20.03 performance at the Texas Invitational ... mark stands as fifth-fastest in ASU history and best by a Sun Devil racer this year ... will also try to score points in the 100 free, where he has a season best of 44.54* ... showed his versatility with NCAA-qualifying 48.54 performance in 100 butterfly action at Texas Invite ... set new personal bests in all three aforementioned events ... carded a total of four individual victories this season ... anchor leg swimmer on ASU's 400 free relay team ... also a member of 200 free and 200 medley squads.
Scott VonSchoff
Jr. - Free
Napa, Calif.
1999-2000: Powerful freestyler who is particularly potent in relay events ... has been to NCAA Championships every year of career ... swam 19th-fastest 100 free time among all collegiate performers this season at the Texas Invitational, where he clocked in at a personal best 43.90* ... mark was tops on the team this year ... part of deep Arizona State contingent in the 200 free, qualifying in a time of 1:37.45 ... also a career fastest mark ... can boast three wins in 1999-2000 ... likely anchor-leg swimmer for Devils' 200 and 400 medley and 200 free relay squads ... also a member of 400 and 800 free teams.
Bo West
So. - Free
Esbjerg, Denmark
1999-2000: Poised to repeat as an All-American in 200 freestyle and relay events ... used Texas Invitational as a platform to record lifetime best 200 free time of 1:36.52*, making him the 10th fastest qualifier at the NCAA's ... also scheduled to compete in 100 free, where he looks to improve upon season-fastest time of 44.84 ... possible point scorer in the 400 free, in event in which he clocked in at 4:24.71* at the Texas Invite ... swims the anchor on ASU's 800 free relay team while also a member of 400 free group ... honored a Pac-10 All-Academic Second Team member for his diligence in the classroom.
Relays
1999-2000: Arizona State has qualified teams in all five events ... relay success is essential for a top-10 Sun Devil finish ... 200 free squad featuring Abal, Lyrbring, MacDonald and VonSchoff ranks seventh nationally with 1:18.79 performance from Texas Invitational ... Lyrbring, VonSchoff, West and MacDonald joined forces to record 10th fastest qualifying time (2:56.10*), also in Texas ... 1996 Olympic medalists Czene and Lyrbring swim first two legs on 800 free team which also features VonSchoff and West ... squad's fastest time of 6:29.24 came at the Pac-10 Championships ... Texas Invite was the site of a 1:28.77* performance in the 200 medley relay by Abal, Guzauskas, MacDonald and VonSchoff, which gives them the 14th seed at Nationals ... ASU's 400 medley squad of Abal, Guzauskas, Czene and VonSchoff established a new school record with its winning time of 3:14.60* during upset over second-ranked Arizona ... that group was the 10th fastest qualifier for the NCAA Championships.
Note: Times marked with an asterisk (*) were swam in short-course meters and converted to short-course yards, which was the standard for determining entrants into the 2000 NCAA Championships.