Oct. 7, 1999
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A year of rebuilding is over.
For the 2000 University of Kentucky men’s Swimming and Diving team, a combination of veterans and newcomers means the future has arrived.
“The men’s team really comes down to two classes, the junior and the freshman class,” said UK coach Gary Conelly, entering his eighth year at the helm of the men’s team. “This could be the best men’s team we’ve had here at UK in quite a while.”
Leading the junior class is freestyle specialist Macon White. Last season, White competed in the 200-and 500-yard freestyles at the NCAA Championships, finishing 17th and 37th respectively. The Huntington, W.Va., native shattered the nine-year-old UK school record in the 200 freestyle by nearly two seconds last season.
Sprint freestyler Shaun Zitani broke former UK standout Rick Barber’s 50-freestyle record and just missed being invited to the NCAA meet. The junior met the NCAA “B” cut in the 50 and 100 freestyle and will anchor UK’s sprint-freestyle relays.
“I think Zitani is real exciting because he’s the first guy we ever had break 20.0 in the 50 freestyle,” Conelly said. “He is doing things that have never been done before here.”
Along with Zitani in the sprint corps is junior Aaron Workman. Workman narrowly missed the NCAA “B” cut in the 50 freestyle last season and was a key member of UK’s school-record breaking freestyle relays.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in Aaron,” Conelly said. “He’s really motivated to do well.”
Dave Tweedie had a breakout year during his freshman year, but his sophomore season was a bit bumpy according to Conelly. If Tweedie can duplicate his 1998 campaign, big things could be in store for the Granger, Ind., native.
“Those four guys are a really good group,” Conelly said. “They are the ones we’re going to be looking to for team leadership. The direction those guys go in is the direction this team goes in.”
To go along with the junior class is a rookie class which Conelly terms as, “probably the best freshman class we’ve ever signed.” Eddie Clement, a native of Essex, England, heads the youth movement.
“Eddie Clement is probably the best recruit we’ve ever signed coming out of high school,” Conelly said. “He has a great attitude and is a very competitive young man. If he wasn’t a swimmer, he’d probably be a boxer because he likes a fight.”
Along with Clement, five other freshmen round out a class long on talent and short on maturity.
“There’s so much potential in this freshman class that if everything clicks, we could make a move in the SEC,” said Conelly, hoping the Wildcats can improve on an eighth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference last season. “They are real bright guys and I think that will reflect in their approach to swimming and school. You are going to see that they are pretty serious about what they’re doing.”
Loaded Freestyle
Like the UK women’s squad, the sprint freestyle events should be the strength of the men’s team.
“The sprint freestyles are probably the best events, the deepest events, and most exciting events for us,” Conelly said.
Zitani is arguably the most talented UK sprinter to perform in Lancaster Aquatic Center. At the SEC Championships last season, Zitani finished ninth in the 50 freestyle and 12th in the 100 freestyle.
He and Workman help form the backbone of the sprint group. Workman ranks among UK’s all-time top-five in the 50 and 100 freestyles and both were major contributors during the dual meet season.
“With Zitani and Workman, I think you are going to see them go one-two in a lot of dual meets,” Conelly said. “They are clearly the two premier guys, but Macon will be right there, too. On a good day, if we get it worked out for Macon to swim the 100, then I think we could go one-two-three.”
Adding depth to the sprint events will be Tweedie, who swam the team’s fourth fastest 50 freestyle time last year. Sophomore Derek Perkins had a tremendous freshman campaign and makes the sprint group even deeper.
The middle distance freestyles are led by White, who Conelly believes is his most consistent performer.
“Macon isn’t a guy that just swims fast at the end of the year,” Conelly said. “He swims fast all year long. I think this year you are going to see him go under 1:40 in the 200 freestyle consistently in dual meets. Macon is a swimmer that could go from not scoring at NCAAs to being in the top eight.”
Tweedie will see quality time in the 200 and 500 freestyles as well. He and White combine to form a solid middle distance tandem.
However, as the distance increases, the freestyle depth decreases.
“We’ve got David Kuendig coming back and he’s a real good dual meet swimmer,” Conelly said. “But he’s the only true distance swimmer we have. We’re going to be filling in there with Macon, Tweedie and Clement.”
Backstroke
Freshman Cody Nath will anchor both backstroke events for the Cats. Conelly is excited about the Wichita, Kan., native and believes the 6-foot-2 backstroker has the ability to become an accomplished swimmer.
“I’m really excited about Cody Nath and what he can do in the 200 backstroke,” Conelly said. “He’s a real late bloomer and he’s fired up about coming to school here.”
Clement also will be called upon to serve in the 200 backstroke as well as sophomore Bernard Fowler.
Nath, along with senior Brett Palmer, will handle most of the 100 backstroke duties.
Improving Breaststroke
Traditionally one of UK’s weakest events, the Cats plan on making waves in the event with two incoming breaststrokers.
“We have Aaron Cuker and Roger Watkins who I think are really going to help us out in the breaststroke,” Conelly said.
Cuker is a talented breaststroker whose specialty may lie in the 200. Along with Roger Watkins, the duo should solve the recent depth problems UK has had in the breaststroke events while Josh Waldrop returns to add depth in the 100 and 200.
Fast Fly
UK returns its best 100 butterflier in Zitani who came within a half second of breaking his second school record of the year. Palmer and Perkins will give the Cats quality depth in the 100 butterfly along with freshman Matt Nilson. However, the 200 is not quite as sound.
“We have notoriously been a weak 200 butterfly team,” Conelly said. “It’s still going to be a little bit rough for us. Eddie is going to be the guy that really helps us out.”
Clement’s best 200 butterfly converted from short course meters (the standard distance swam in England) to yards is faster than the existing UK 200 butterfly record held by Martyn Wilby. Nilson, Palmer, and Perkins will also compete in the 200 butterfly for UK.
Individual Medley
“IM should be a strong spot for us because we’ve got Eddie who was second in the 400 IM at the Short Course Nationals in England last year,” Conelly said.
Clement should be one of the top IMers in the SEC this year, especially in the 400 where he excels in the distance-oriented race. His best 400 IM converted from short course meters to yards would put him in UK’s all-time top two. Clement should be strong in the 200 IM as well.
Helping solidify the IM races for UK will be two breaststrokers – Cuker and Watkins – both solid in the 200 and 400 IM events.
Talented Divers
Returning for UK on the boards this season is sophomore Aaron Kirkpatrick and junior Kyle McDuffie. Talented Clayton Moss joins Kirkpatrick and McDuffie, giving the Cats one of their most solid diving teams in the last five years.
Kirkpatrick returns after what coach Mike Lyden calls “a tremendous freshman year.” The Pendleton, Ind., native excels on the one-meter and three-meter springboards. He ranks in UK’s all-time top-five on the one-meter and three-meter springboard events.
“His springboard skills are potentially great,” Lyden said. “He did not make the finals at the SECs but at the NCAA qualifying meet, he was the alternate to make NCAAs. I could see him making the finals on both springboard events at SECs this year.”
McDuffie, in his second season after transferring from Florida State, made steady contributions last season, finishing 10th on the three-meter at the SEC Championships.
“Kyle is a very talented and acrobatic athlete,” Lyden said. “Acrobatically, he could compete with anyone in the country. He needs to develop a little more confidence in his skills and learn how to compete a little better.”
The highly recruited Moss comes to Lexington from the prominent Moultrie (Ga.) Diving Club, which has produced some the nation’s best divers. Lyden calls the three-meter springboard Moss’ strongest event, but he is also strong on the one-meter and platform.
“Clayton is probably the best diver I’ve ever recruited,” Lyden said. “He’ll be in the hunt to win a springboard at SECs, but he’s in the hunt to win almost any meet he’s in. I don’t know exactly how good he’ll be this year but he should make it to NCAAs. He is good enough to make the finals at NCAAs.”
The UK men’s team has the potential and ability to move into the SEC’s top-five this season. Conelly said he is looking for one of the sprint-freestyle relays and two individuals to get invited to the NCAA meet this year which, “would be a great year.”
“A lot depends on the freshman class. They need to have a good sense that they can compete at this level and not be overwhelmed that they’re swimming or diving in the SEC. They’re real eager to compete and I think they can do it.”
