Despite a valiant effort from the competition, the Tennessee swimming and
diving teams sailed through the waters, preserving their undefeated season.
With every stroke bringing them closer to victory, the Big Orange athletes
improved their already impressive record, leaving the hungry competitors in
their wake. Both the men and women’s squads came out strong against Texas
A&M, Miami and Arkansas in the tri-meet held Friday afternoon at the
Aquatic Center.
The day marked great swims for many of the Vols, who defeated the
Hurricanes 143-100 and recorded a 141-86 win over the Aggies. Winning in
races against both Miami and Texas A&M were Tom Williams, Sean Stringer,
Matt Hall and Joel Shapiro. Also triumphant were Casey Quilter in the 200
freestyle and Rodney Panek in the 100 freestyle.
“These guys were tired and beat up, but they still competed well,” said the
men’s coach, John Trembley.
Freshman Shapiro, who posted an impressive first-place time in the 200
butterfly, was pleased with Friday’s performance. Shapiro, coming to
Knoxville from Seattle, Washington, is pleasantly surprised by his success
in his first season with the Vols.
“Coming here is the best decision I have ever made,” Shapiro said. “We have
a very close-knit team, which is something I have never been a part of
before.”
While happy with his swimming thus far, Shapiro is always looking to
improve and looks to support from his teammates to help him swim
faster.
The men’s team has not lost a home meet since Jan. 16, 1988, and their
overall home record is 195-6. Knowing the Vols’ impressive history and
tough competitive edge, Miami came to the meet shaved and ready to battle
the Orange and White.
“Miami brought in a good team and shaved 10 of their athletes to really
raise the bar for this meet,” Trembley said.
While at first threatening the Tennessee swimmers and divers, the
Hurricanes were put back in their place when the men got back in the water
to dominate the lanes in the second half of the meet. Securing the lead was
an outstanding sweep of the 200 individual medley by first-place finisher
Tom Williams, second place, Shawn McNew and third-place, Jeremy Linn.
Also significant in Friday’s meet was Tennessee’s performance in the 200
medley relay. Outstanding swims by Craig Gilliam, Linn, Adam Engle and
Chris Olafson led the foursome to victory and an NCAA-qualifying time.
“I don’t know if anybody else will swim a qualifying time without shaving
— that’s pretty special,” said a pleased Trembley.
The men, who have won the past 22 meets, will look to bolster their
incredible record on Nov. 22 as they challenge the University of Texas at
the UT Aquatic Center. The Longhorns finished fourth in the nation last
season and claimed the national title in 1996. The meet, beginning at 7 on
Saturday night, will be a pivotal competition for the Vols as they look to
leave Texas in their wake of increasing accomplishments.
Having an equally successful day, the Lady Vol swimmers and divers also
finished well ahead of both Miami and Arkansas. Of the day’s many winning
events, a Big Orange sweep of the 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 50
freestyle was the high point of the meet. Indicative of the program’s
increasing success, the Lady Vols won nine of their 13 events and had two
swimmers provisionally qualify for NCAA’s.
Emily Plummer, a tri-winner in Friday’s meet, finished first in the 50
freestyle, the 100 backstroke and as a member of the 400 medley relay team.
Plummer’s outstanding time in the 100 backstroke provisionally qualified
the senior for the NCAA Championships.
Also provisionally qualifying was Fabiola Molina, who extended her
successful season with a victory in the 100 butterfly and the 200
freestyle.
The Lady Vols get back into the water when they travel to Clemson this
Friday for their next meet. Their season has proved to be a success so far,
as they now possess a record of 3-0 overall. With the winning precedent
being set early, the Lady Vols, along with the Vols, continue to improve on
an already impressive 1997 season.
