NOTES GENERAL INFORMATION Texas Hosts the 2003 Phillips 66 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships RESULTS: Visit the Texas web site, www.TexasSports.com, or For the sixth time in the Big 12’s seven-year tenure, a league swimming and diving champi- www.big12sports.com, for results. onship will take place at Jamail Texas Swimming Center on the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns’ hosted previous women’s championships in 1998-99 and Big 12 Media Relations Contact: ______ 2001 and the men’s in 1999 and 2001. Texas A&M sponsored the rest of the conference _______________________Carmen Murry championships (both men’s and women’s - 1997, 2000 and 2002; men’s 1998), which in- Office Phone: ___________ (214) 753-0109 clude the Big 12’s inaugural year at the Student Recreation Center Natatorium. Cell Phone: ____________ (214) 418-6969 Big 12 Fax: _____________ (214) 753-0145 Last year’s event marked the first time since 1997 that the men’s and women’s champion- E-mail: ________ [email protected] ships were combined. Texas Media Relations Contact: _______ ______________________ David Crabtree Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center Office Phone: ___________ (512) 471-0534 UT Fax: _______________ (512) 471-6040 During the summer of 2001, the University of Texas began construction on a $3 million E-mail: ____________________________ renovation to the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. Already regarded as one of ________ [email protected] the finest and fastest collegiate swimming centers in the country, the Jamail Texas Swim Center has now been upgraded into a category of its own. The 50-meter pool, which holds 880,000 gallons of water, added a newly-remodeled, moveable bulkhead and new underwa- TICKETS: Ticket prices for this year’s final ter windows. The bulkhead was constructed out of 25,000 pounds of aluminum and engi- sessions are $5 for adults and $3 for senior citi- neered to run on a track; they also can be raised to the ceiling in order to alter lane lengths for zens and students. There is no admission fee different events. The underwater windows were constructed out of four-layered, heat-strength- for preliminary sessons and for the Wednesdayrelays. Doors will open and tickets ened glass, enabling light to enter the pool and allowing for an interesting spectator view. will be available one hour prior to the start of The swim center also reconstructed its patio entrance, as well as adding a new handicap each session. seating area, which are both ADA certified. Additionally, a high-tech sound booth overlook- ing the entire complex has been constructed with new theatre-quality speakers which have been installed throughout the facility. PARKING: Daily paid parking is available in seven University of Texas Garages. No per- The facility was modeled after the pool used for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. It mit is required to park in the garages but daily officially opened its doors to competitors in 1979 and was built to accommodate competitive paid parking is limited. Garage parking offers swimming, diving and water polo events in scholastic, collegiate, US Swimming, FINA, and the most convenient available parking for both students and visitors. The garages that offer Olympic categories. best access to the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas The Jamail Center will be the site of the 2003 NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Champi- Swimming Center are Parking Garage Seven onship, March 27-29. and Parking Garage Five. Phillips 66 Sponsors Swimming & Diving Championships Phillips has been a sponsor of college athletics for many years and the company’s biggest sponsorship is with the Big 12 Conference. Phillips sponsors Big 12 basketball along with For the seventh consecutive year, Fox Sports the conference tournaments for basketball and baseball, plus the swimming and diving Net will telecast the Big 12 Conference Swim- championships. Phillips also has sponsorships with Conference USA and the Big 10, Big ming & Diving Championships on a tape-de- South, Missouri Valley and Mountain West conferences. It also has sponsored USA lay basis nationally. Check local listings for Swimming since 1973. broadcast times. 1 2003 Phillips 66 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships BIG 12 MEN’S RECORDS MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW Overall Pct. Texas: 6-2 .750 Texas’ National and Conference Dominance Texas A&M: 4-2 .666 Missouri: 5-5 .500 The University of Texas has dominated the men’s swimming and diving scene on the national and conference level for the past couple of decades. Since the inception of Big 12 Conference competition during the 1996-97 academic year, the Longhorns have won all six league titles * There are no official Big 12 standings and have been crowned national champions three times, including last season when they cap- in swimming and diving, so therefore con- tured their third consecutive triumph. National Coach of the Year Eddie Reese has guided ference records are not kept. Texas to 22 consecutive league championships dating back to when it was a member of the Southwestern Conference, and, seven of the last 14 NCAA titles (nine overall for UT) in his 24 years at the helm of the UT program. 2002-03 BIG 12 MALE SWIMMERS AND Texas won 19 of the 21 events in 2002. Leading the way for the ‘Horns is junior Ian Crocker DIVERS OF THE MONTH who has won 11 individual titles: 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard medley relay in 2001 and 2002; and the 800-yard freestyle relay in 2002. UT also returns the 2002 Outstanding Swimmers of the Meet Brendan Swimmers Hansen (2002 Men’s Swimmer of the Year and 2001 Men’s Newcomer of the Year), Chris October: Radu Miclaus, Sr., Missouri Kemp (2000 Men’s Newcomer of the Year) and Rainer Kendrick (2002 Men’s Newcomer of November I: Aaron Peirsol, Fr., Texas the Year). They are repeat champions as well (see attached record book). Hansen (100- and November II: Matt Ferrarelli, Sr., Missouri 200-yard breaststroke) and Crocker (100-yard butterfly) were also national individual champi- December: Brendan Hansen, Jr., Texas ons in 2002. January: Matt Rose, Jr., Texas A&M February: Chris Kemp, Sr., Texas Divers Texas A&M Looks To Get Over The Runner-Up Hump October: Evan Watters, Fr., Missouri November I: Mark Shattuck, Fr., Texas The Aggies have finished second at the Big 12 meet each of the last two years. November II: Christian Picard, Fr., Texas A&M Last year, A&M had three different swimmers win individual conference titles. Current December: Jamie Sweeney, Sr., Missouri junior Matt Rose won the Big 12 100-yard freestyle title in College Station a year ago with a January: Evan Watters, Fr., Missouri lifetime-best of 43.71 seconds. Another junior, Scott Mueller, grabbed the A&M school February: Jamie Sweeney, Sr., Missouri record and the Big 12 title with a 3:51.11 clocking in the 400 individual medley. Riley Janes, a senior on last year’s team won the 100 backstroke as well. The Aggies bring a very young team into the conference meet. A&M will carry 16 under- COLLEGE SWIM COACHES classmen and nine upperclassmen to Austin on Wednesday. ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA TOP 25 DUAL MEET MEN’S POLL Rose looks to be A&M’s top weapon entering the meet. He leads the Big 12 list, and is 11th nationally, in the 50 freestyle at 20.10, a time he swam against SMU the last time the Aggies Rank Team Overall Votes competed. Rose sits in the No. 2 spot in the conference in the event in which he will attempt 1. Stanford (6) 198 to defend his conference title, the 100 freestyle (44.38). He also ranks second in the confer- 2. Auburn (2) 194 ence in the 100 backstroke with an NCAA consideration time of 48.76. 3. California 183 4. Michigan 174 5. TEXAS 170 Missouri Hopes to Carry Success From the Season Into The Championships 6. Minnesota 162 7. Southern Cal 151 The Tigers finished third in 2002 but will bring seasoned veterans back to the championships 8. Florida 148 this year with an opportunity produce more points. Mizzou returned 15 letterwinners and lost 9. Virginia 136 only one from last season’s squad. 10. Georgia 123 10. Wisconsin 123 During the 2002-03 regular season, MU excelled in diving. The Tigers won four of the six 12. Tennessee 113 league divers of the month awards, more than any other school did in swimming or diving. 13. Alabama 108 14. Arizona State 106 The Tigers will be led by return champion and senior Matt Ferrarelli, who won the 400-yard IM 15. TEXAS A&M 87 in 2001. Last year at the championships, the Retford Notts, England, native suffered an injury 16. Pittsburgh 73 before the Big 12 meet and struggled in the only event he was able to compete in and was 17. Penn State 61 unable to defend his title. He currently has the fastest time in the conference in the 200-yard IM 18. Brigham Young 54 (1:49.74). Ferrarelli was named the November II Swimmer of the Month and the 19. Arizona 45 CollegeSwiming.Com National Swimmer of the Week for the week of Nov. 26 - Dec.1. 20. Harvard 44 21. Hawai’i 42 In diving action, freshman Evan Watters paces the conference in three-meter championship 22. Indiana 36 diving with a 565.15 point total. But, senior Jamie Sweeney provides the experience to the 23. Princeton 23 pool for the Tigers after qualifying for the NCAA Zones three times.