LEXINGTON, Ky.- In the sports world it is a known clich? that disappointment spurns motivation toward achieving higher goals. The University of Kentucky men?s swimming and diving team is aiming to make the clich? a reality during the 2007-08 season.
Fresh off a season in which the team finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference championships and 39th in the NCAA, Coach Gary Conelly is excited about his team?s chances for the upcoming season and expects them once again to compete among the nation?s elite teams.
?We have some pretty lofty expectations for this team, because we really would like to be in the top four of the conference,? said Conelly. ?We are a much stronger team this season. I think we are going to see a lot more production out of the sophomore class which will really help us achieve our goals.?
Still a relatively young squad that owns just three seniors, the wealth of talent makes up for the lack of seniority. Since the conclusion of the SEC Championships, the men?s team has taken great strides on an international level. Junior Warren Grobbelaar won the South African national championship in the 100-butterfly, sophomore Elvis Burrows participated with the Bahamian national team in the World University Games, while the team collectively achieved eight Olympic time trial cut times in varying national events this summer.
?Everybody has trained so well this summer, and the team comes back to us for pre-season conditioning exponentially better,? Conelly said. ?I would be really surprised if we didn?t have one of the best seasons ever.?
BACKSTROKE
Junior Shane Eliason is coming off a break-out season in which he placed in the top-16 in both backstroke events for the Wildcats as a sophomore at the conference meet. For a stretch during the dual meet season Eliason captured wins in both back events in three consecutive meets. This season the older and more experienced Eliason needs to continue his upward climb and become an NCAA participant in the discipline. Conelly feels after a season in which Eliason gained confidence and a strong summer of training, Eliason is on the verge of another outstanding season.
?Shane had a great summer, and he?s the kind of guy who doesn?t always recognize how talented he really is,? said Conelly. ?I think as he continues to go in his career he is starting to believe in himself more and more. He is on course to have another outstanding year for us.?
Providing some added to depth to the backstroke events is senior Kristian Outinen, sophomores Alex Forbes and Kyle Greene, and freshman Chris Upchurch. Outinen spent some time on medley relays in the backstroke discipline, while Greene and Forbes have each seen time in the back events during their careers.
BREASTSTROKE
Senior Will Vietti is one of the favorites heading into the 2007-08 season in the SEC in the 100-breaststroke after finishing second a season-ago. Vietti already owns school records in both the 100- and 200-events. He placed fourth in the 200-breast as a junior in the conference meet, and participated in the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career.
?He is a pure racer,? Conelly said. ?I don?t think Will ever climbs up on the block thinking that he will lose.?
Adding to the promise of his final season at Kentucky was the tremendous summer he enjoyed, in which he placed seventh in the 100-breast at the National Championships while also earning Olympic time trial cuts in both swims.
Outinen returns to the breaststroke lineup as well, with a summer to refresh and recharge the batteries of a two-time NCAA participant in both breast events. Rounding out the lineup are sophomores Julio Vallette and Justin Max. Conelly feels Vallette is on the verge of taking some major strides in propelling his career this season.
BUTTERFLY
Grobbelaar enjoyed a stellar sophomore season and summer as he pushed his career-best times in the 100-fly to new limits. He placed seventh in the conference a year ago, and then won the South African national championship in the event in May.
?He is an incredibly talented swimmer,? Conelly said. ?He has impressed me over and over again, with the things he can do. Warren is a real threat for us; a real stand-out sprinter.?
Burrows, Forbes, junior Matt Bierwirth and freshman Kevin Knezevich will provide depth in the sprint event.
Senior Grant Nelson leads the grueling 200-fly group. Nelson has continued to improve with every season and would like nothing more than to finish his career with best times and finishes in an event that has become his marquee swim.
?Grant is tremendously motivated, focused and determined to have a good year,? Conelly said. ?He is going to have to have a significant drop to make NCAAs in the 200-fly, but I think he is on course to do that. He?s doing some things in practice already that he?s never done before as far as conditioning.?
Nelson placed seventh in the event at the conference meet as a junior while setting a career-best time. Junior Joe Retrum placed 10th and will also be looked to for leadership and improvement in this discipline.
FREESTYLE
Conelly describes the sprint freestyle group as perhaps his most talented and deep group of swimmers. Grobbelaar is the holder of the top times in both the 50-free and 100-free among the returnees, however Forbes, Greene and classmate Eric McGinnis are all returning after impressive freshmen seasons.
?This group understands what the expectations are and what the level of commitment is to achieve our goals,? Conelly said. ?They are a group on a mission.?
McGinnis and Grobbelaar each earned Olympic time trial cuts this summer at the Senior National Championships. McGinnis entered the meet with an 88th placement and rose to 13th in the country in the 50-free one of the most impressive stories of the summer.
Among other returnees likely to see time in the sprint group are Burrows, sophomores Travis Muzzillo, Chris Richard and Drew Robinson.
Freshman Tyler Reed highlights the newcomers in this area. Reed a Kentucky native holds numerous state records and was one of the most highly recruited sprinters in the country. Conelly feels Reed will impact his team immediately.
?I think Tyler Reed is going to rock some people,? said Conelly. ?Everybody knows he is out there, but I don?t think they really know what to expect. Tyler is a guy who goes as hard as he can go until he can?t go anymore. I think as he goes through his career and learns to have a little more finesse and technique I think he is going to be a force to be reckoned with.?
Matt Barbiea, Max Clark, Colin Faris, Reinhardt Strijdom and Chris Upchurch all come to UK with a history of sprint swims.
In the middle distance and distance swims Conelly will look to a wealth of experience. Sophomore Marco Iemmola has entered pre-season conditioning in excellent shape and a desire to improve upon his quality first season.
?Marco had a fantastic summer of training,? Conelly said. ?I think he is really going to have a good year for us this year. He may surprise some people this year and sneak in with some very good times.?
Iemmola scored points for Kentucky in the 1,650-free as a freshman, but will need to score in the 200- and 500- this season. Junior James Batley will be looked to in the 200- to 1,000 range. Nelson and Retrum have also been known to step onto some distance blocks. Sophomore Kevin Ryan will also see time in this discipline.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Outinen, Retrum and Nelson will likely be the trio seeing action in the most demanding swim of any competition. Outinen sees most of his time in the 200-IM, while Nelson has seen his action in the longer 400-IM. Retrum is versatile enough to swim either medley distance.
Outinen placed 22nd as a junior in the 200-IM and 15th as a sophomore, while Nelson placed 21st in the 400-IM as a junior.
RELAYS
?We have every expectation to qualify all of our relays for the NCAAs,? said Conelly.
Conelly certainly feels the depth and experience he has from the sophomores and his veterans will bode well for this season?s success. Eliason, Vietti, Outinen, Nelson, Forbes, Greene, McGinnis and Grobbelaar were all mainstays in the relay lineup a year ago. However, Conelly feels a few of the newcomers will likely push for time in the relays.
Conelly will allow for an open competition to all and hopes to assemble a potent lineup that will score in the top-16 of the nation in every event.
DIVING
Returning for Coach Mike Lyden is junior Justin Smith who enjoyed a very promising year as a sophomore. For the first time in his career Smith scored points in all three diving events, with his first top-eight performance on the three meter at the conference meet.
Smith also participated in his first career NCAA Zone Diving Championships and just barely missed the cut to appear in his first NCAA Championships.
The goal does not change this season for Lyden, as he wants Smith to score in the top-eight in all three events while making the cut for the national meet.
Joining Smith is freshman Stephen Andrews. Andrews comes to Kentucky having enjoyed tremendous success in Florida. He is a two-time Florida state-champion and three-time All-American. Lyden aims for Andrews to impact the Kentucky squad immediately.
