March 14, 2000
NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships
March 16-18, 2000 - IUPUI Natatorium - Indianapolis, Ind.
Five Sun Devils NCAA-Bound
The Arizona State women's swimming and diving team hopes to conclude its 1999-2000 season by making a splash at the NCAA Championships, held March 16-18 in Indianapolis, Ind. Four Sun Devil swimmers (senior Carolyn Adel, sophomores Sarah Bahamand Riley Mants and Junior Lauren Morelli) and one diver (senior Katrina Pfeuffer) will make the trip and compete in a total of 15 events. The meet is being hosted by Indiana Univerrsity-Purdue University-Indianapois at the IUPUI Natatorium. Trial heats will begin at 11:00 a.m. while finals will commence at 7:00 p.m. EST each day.
Note the Format
The NCAA Women's Swimming Championships will be contested in short-course
meters for the first time in the meet's 18-year history. Following the Championships, 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 women enter the NCAA's ranked 16th 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 #20.
Looking Back at the 1999 NCAA's
At the 1999 NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga., Arizona State placed 23rd overall with a total of 37.5 points. Riley Mants recorded ASU's highest individual finish by placing fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:12.47, the second-fastest swim in Sun Devil history. Mants also earned All-America honors in the 100 breast with her 11th place mark of 1:02.44 which also ranks second all-time at Arizona State. Meanwhile Carolyn Adel assured herself of All-America status in the 400 individual medley by winning the consolation finals in a time of 4:16.07, finishing ninth overall. Adel also garnered Honorable Mention All-America honors along with teammates Casey Murphy, Tiffany Houser and Sarah Baham in the 800 freestyle relay as the squad placed 16th at 7:24.05. Murphy scored points of her own by touching the wall 15th in the 1650 free in a time of 137.53, ranking sixth in ASU history. In diving competition, Trish Malatesta brought an All-American award back to Tempe following her 13th place showing in platform action.
ASU Championship History
Legendary Coach Mona Plummer built the Arizona State women's swimming and diving program into a national powerhouse, winning eight AIWA tithles between 1967 and 1978. The Sun Devils also enjoyed four top-10 finishes from 1987-90, as well as a ninth place finish in 1993. Beata Kaszuba was ASU's last individual event champion, winning both the 100 and 200 breaststroke in NCAA-record time in 1995. A total of 40 Arizona State women have won at least one AIWA or NCAA title, while 85 athletes have achieved All-America status.
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 one 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
Carolyn Adel
Sr., Free/IM
Paramaribo, Suriname
1999-2000: Arizona State's top all-around talent and a four-time All-American , automatic NCAA Championship qualifier in the 400 individual medley by virtue of 4:13.05*, first place showing at the Texas Invitational (Dec. 4) , mark broke Chris Jeffrey's school record of 4:14.21 and was nearly four seconds better than second place finisher in race , fifth fastest collegiate 400 IM mark in the nation this year (top meters time recorded) , enters NCAA's as the #14 seed in 200 IM competition following 2:00.29* time at Texas Invitational (Dec. 4), qualified for 100 freestyle with 50.73 relay split at the Pac-10 Championships (Feb. 26) , has won a total of 11 races this season , will swim anchor (freestyle) leg of ASU's 200 medley relay at Nationals, which recorded its season-best time of 1:42.64* at the Texas Invite ,also anchor on 400 medley squad which posted fastest time of 3:42.82* against Arizona ... honored as a Maroon and Gold Scholar Athlete for her diligence in the classroom.
Sarah Baham
So.,Fly/Free
Arcadia, Calif.
1999-2000: In only two seasons has established herself as perhaps the greatest butterfly artist in Arizona State history , enters NCAA Championships as the fifth fastest 100 fly qualifier thanks to 53.68* performance at Texas Invitational , time eclipsed her own school record set earlier that day in the prelims , lowered the ASU record in 200 fly competition three timed during the dual meet season, most recently against Arizona (Feb. 12) with a time of 1:58.26* , Betsy Hugh was previous record holder at 1:59.74 , ranks eighth in the 200 heading into the NCAA's , will swim the fly portion of 200 and 400 medley relays , placed first in 11 different races in 1999-2000.
Riley Mants
So., Breast
Winnipeg, Manitoba
1999-2000: Continues to set the pace for Sun Devil backstroking squad , second place finish of 2:13.29* in 200 breast at Texas Invitational (Dec. 5) gave her automatic entry into NCAA's, where she is seeded ninth , at the same meet carded fastest 100 time of the season (1:02.84*), placing her in a tie for fifth , 15th best 100 mark among national qualifiers this year , notched sixth place 200 breast finish at Pac-10 Championships (Feb. 26) at 2:15.69 , breastsroker for both of ASU's relay squads , has a total of seven wins on the season , selected by the coaching staff as Arizona State's Student Athlete of the Year for women's swimming.
Lauren Morelli
Jr., Back
Hockessin, Del.
1999-2000: Leader among the ASU backstroking contingent , makes return to NCAA Championships after absence in 1999 , qualified in 100 back with 55.66* relay split in the 400 medley against Arizona (Feb. 12) , will enter NCAA's as the 21st-fastest qualifier , 200 time of 2:00.29 at the Pac-10 Championships also gained entry into Nationals , opening leg swimmer for Devils in 200 and 400 relays , notched four victories in dual meet competition, including a sweep of the 100 and 200 back against Pac-10 foe Washington on Dec. 18 , a Maroon and Gold Scholar Athlete who was selected as one of seven ?Sun Devil Stars? by ASU's Leadership Development Team for her outstanding contributions to the community.
Katrina Pfeuffer
Sr., Diving
Tucson, Ariz.
1999-2000: Has worked hard to return to NCAA Championship level following wrist injury which sidelined her all of last season , qualified for Nationals by virtue of third place overall finish at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships in Federal Way, Wash., March 10-11 , best individual event finish at Zone E meet was third place in the one-meter , season best scores in one-meter action were 300.15 (six dives) Texas and 454.50 (10 dives), both against Texas , on the three-meter board, carded performances of 303.37 (six dives) against Arizona and 516.70 (11 dives) vs. Texas , high platform mark for the year (417.85) came at the Texas Invitational , carded nine total victories in dual meet competition , a Maroon and Gold Scholar-Athlete throughout her entire Sun Devil career.
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 NCAA Championships.